Solomon Osagie Alonge (1911-1994) was born in Benin, Nigeria. He learned English at the Benin Baptist Primary School and in 1925, at the age of 14, moved to Lagos, where he lived with an uncle to learn a trade. He quickly became interested in photography and began professional practice to expand his knowledge and skills.
For Alonge, photography proves to be a lucrative and respected profession. In 1930 he returned to Benin and began photography in his home on Rue Ugbague. He often traveled outside Benin by bicycle, taking annual portraits at schools and gathering at social clubs, sporting events and government ceremonies. Alonge became involved in the Benin Community Circle in the late 1930s and was treasurer of the Central Baptist Church for over 20 years. Every week at Sunday service he played hymns on his bandoneon. Traditional yet modern, Alonge embodies the quintessential Edo man. Largely self-taught, he continued to develop his photographic practice despite difficult circumstances, constantly adapting to new technologies and industrial tools. As a keen observer and recorder of social and political changes, Alonge had a special feel for history and his photographs document important events and figures in Benin’s history.
In 1942 he founded the Ideal Photo Studio in Benin, where he quickly gained a reputation as a hard-working young professional and an honest businessman. The studio quickly became a popular place for portraiture. In 1956, Alonge photographed the visit of Queen Elizabeth, who met Oba Akenzua II at the Benin airport. He also recorded the oba’s handshake with Princess Alexandra who declared Nigeria’s independence in 1960 during a visit to Benin in 1963.
