The National Archives UK - CO through time

Elmina 1870–2025 21 photos of this spot

21 photographs taken at the same spot in Elmina, spanning 1870–2025 — 19 of them from before 1980. Line them up and watch the place change.

Elmina, on the Gold Coast, photographed in 1870 and preserved in the British colonial archive. The town was long known as the site of St. George's Castle, built by the Portuguese in the fifteenth century and later held by the Dutch before passing to Britain in 1872.

The National Archives UK - CO 1870 Elmina, on the Gold Coast, photographed in 1870 and preserved in the British colonial archive. The town was long known as the site of St. George's Castle, built by the Portuguese in the fifteenth century and later held by the Dutch before passing to Britain in 1872.

The National Archives UK - CO 1870 This 1870 image of Elmina comes from the Colonial Office photographic collection at the UK National Archives, documenting the coastal trading town on Ghana's Gold Coast, long known for its fortified harbor.

The National Archives UK - CO 1870 Ranks of uniformed men pose for a formal group photograph in 1870 before the massive walls of Elmina Castle, a fortress on Ghana's coast, with a palm tree rising beside the ramparts.

EU: Fort Sint Jago of Coenraadsburch te Elmina aan de Goudkust (nu Ghana) gebouwd in 1638 door de Nederlanders, eind 19e eeuw (1872) 1872 Fort Sint Jago, also called Coenraadsburch, above Elmina was built by the Dutch in 1638 to defend nearby Elmina Castle; this photograph shows the fortification on its hilltop overlooking the coast.

The National Archives UK - CO 1875 Elmina, on Ghana's Gold Coast, photographed in 1875 and held in the UK National Archives' Colonial Office collection as CO 1069-30-54-1-001. By this date the settlement had passed from Dutch to British control, following the 1872 transfer of Dutch Gold Coast possessions.

The National Archives UK - CO 1890 Elmina, on the Gold Coast, photographed around 1890; the town is home to Elmina Castle, built by the Portuguese in 1482 and among the oldest European structures in sub-Saharan Africa.

The National Archives UK - CO 1890 A view of Elmina, Gold Coast, taken around 1890 and preserved in the Colonial Office's CO 1069 photograph collection at the National Archives, UK.

The National Archives UK - CO 1890 Elmina, Gold Coast, pictured around 1890 in a photograph from the CO 1069 series documenting Britain's West African colonial territories.

The National Archives UK - CO 1890 The coastal town of Elmina, Gold Coast, as it appeared around 1890, from the Colonial Office's CO 1069 photographic collection.

The National Archives UK - CO 1890 A Colonial Office photograph (CO 1069) showing Elmina, Gold Coast, around 1890, now held at the UK's National Archives.

The National Archives UK - CO 1890 Elmina, Gold Coast, photographed around 1890, a period when the town remained an important trading post on the West African coast.

The National Archives UK - CO 1890 The Castle of St George at Elmina, photographed in 1890. Built by the Portuguese in 1482 and later held by the Dutch and British, it is the oldest surviving European-built structure in sub-Saharan Africa.

The National Archives UK - CO 1890 The courtyard of the Castle of St George in Elmina, photographed in 1890, inside the fortress first built by the Portuguese in the late 15th century and successively controlled by Dutch and British colonial administrations.

The National Archives UK - CO 1890 St Jago Hill at Elmina, topped by Fort Conraadsburg, photographed in 1890. The Dutch built the fort in the 17th century on high ground overlooking the town and the older Castle of St George below.

The National Archives UK - CO 1890 Main Street in Elmina, photographed in 1890, running through a coastal town whose fortunes were long tied to the nearby Castle of St George and the Atlantic trade it once oversaw.

The National Archives UK - CO 1890 Held in the UK National Archives' Colonial Office photograph collection, this 1890 image shows Elmina on Ghana's Gold Coast, a coastal town long defined by its Portuguese-built fortress and later Dutch and British colonial rule.

The National Archives UK - CO 1890 Elmina, on the Gold Coast of present-day Ghana, is shown in this 1890 photograph from the UK National Archives' colonial collection; the town is the site of Elmina Castle, built by Portuguese traders in the fifteenth century and later held by the Dutch and British.

The National Archives UK - CO 1890 This 1890 view of Elmina, on Ghana's Gold Coast, comes from the same UK National Archives series documenting the town beside its landmark fortress, one of the oldest European structures in sub-Saharan Africa.

The National Archives UK - CO 1895 A photograph of Elmina on the Gold Coast, taken in 1895 and held in the UK National Archives' Colonial Office CO 1069 series of colonial-era images. Elmina was home to St. George's Castle, built by the Portuguese in the 15th century.

Elmina Castle Castle in Cape Coast 04 2023 Another view of a fortified structure on Ghana's Cape Coast shoreline, part of the coastal defense network erected by European traders from the 15th century onward.

Canoes packed after work at Elmina 2025 Painted wooden fishing canoes, flying an assortment of flags, crowd the Benya Lagoon at Elmina after the day's catch has been brought ashore, a scene typical of this longstanding Ghanaian fishing town.