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Esther Bruce, Kathy Joyce, Hannah Johnson and Michael Joyce
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Esther Bruce, Kathy Joyce, Hannah Johnson and Michael Joyce
Esther Bruce with Kathy Joyce, Hannah Johnson (who adopted Esther into her family in 1941) & Michael Joyce outside 13 Dieppe Street, Fulham, London. Josephine Esther Bruce (1912-1994) working-class mixed race seamstress born in Fulham, London to a Guyanese father & an English mother. In London in the 1930s she made dresses for the singer Elisabeth Welch & befriended the Jamaican nationalist leader Marcus Garvey. Co-authored her autobiography in 1991 with her adopted nephew Stephen Bourne. Included in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Date: 1947
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Media ID 23090828
© The Stephen Bourne Collection / Mary Evans
1941 1947 Adopted Born Bruce Dieppe Esther Fulham Hannah Johnson Josephine Joyce Michael Mixed Race Seamstress Working Class
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EDITORS COMMENTS
This evocative photograph captures the moment when Esther Bruce (1912-1994), a working-class mixed race seamstress from Fulham, London, is reunited with her adopted family outside their home at 13 Dieppe Street in 1947. Esther, who was born to a Guyanese father and an English mother, spent her formative years in London where she honed her sewing skills and made dresses for the renowned singer Elisabeth Welch. Her life took an unexpected turn in 1941 when she was adopted by the Joyce family, comprising of Kathy Joyce, Hannah Johnson, and Michael Joyce. The photograph captures a heartwarming scene of Esther, now a part of the Joyce family, standing proudly with her adopted siblings. Esther's friendship with the Jamaican nationalist leader Marcus Garvey during the 1930s is a testament to her strong sense of identity and her commitment to social justice. Her autobiography, co-authored with her adopted nephew Stephen Bourne in 1991, provides a poignant account of her life and experiences. Esther's story is an important one, and she is included in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, a testament to her enduring impact on British history.
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