On the morning of June 22, 1939, the Gold Coast awoke to tremors that shattered its calm. Colonial officials rushed to inspect the damage, their polished boots sinking into dust where proud homes had stood. Photographs show them standing stiffly beside makeshift shelters, faces caught between duty and disbelief. The earthquake had torn through Accra, leaving thousands homeless. No one had prepared for such devastation, and yet the officials had to pretend control, documenting ruins while the cries of survivors echoed behind them. - Continue Reading Below
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The Gold Coast Regiment, trained for war, found themselves building emergency shelters instead of fighting battles. Timber was dragged, canvas stretched, nails hammered into shaky frames. Soldiers who once carried rifles now carried hammers, their uniforms stained with sweat and dust. The earthquake had turned warriors into carpenters, guardians into laborers. Their shelters were crude, but they were lifelines—fragile walls against despair.
Families huddled in makeshift shelters, their lives reduced to bundles of salvaged belongings. Mothers cooked over open fires, fathers patched roofs with scraps, children played in the shadow of collapsed walls. The earthquake had stolen homes, but not hope. In photographs, you see faces weary yet defiant, eyes that refused to surrender. These shelters were not houses, but they were proof that survival was possible.
The photographs of the 1939 Accra earthquake are haunting not for what they show, but for what they do not. Streets lie empty, walls cracked, roofs caved in. Silence hangs heavy in every frame. The camera captured devastation, but behind each image was a chorus of grief—families mourning, communities broken. The earthquake became more than a disaster; it became a scar etched into the nation’s memory.
Accra was devastated, but it did not die. The earthquake forced rebuilding—new structures, stronger foundations, modern planning. Colonial architects redesigned streets, engineers reinforced buildings. Yet the cost was immense: lives lost, traditions uprooted, communities scattered. The photographs of ruins remind us that Accra’s modern skyline was born from tragedy. The city rose again, but it carried the weight of 1939 in its bones.
Today, the images of the 1939 earthquake are treasures—rare windows into a forgotten disaster. They show cracked walls, broken streets, weary survivors. They remind us that Ghana’s history is not only castles and independence, but also earthquakes and endurance. Each photograph is a ghost, whispering of a day when the ground itself betrayed its people.
For decades, the 1939 earthquake faded from memory, overshadowed by independence struggles and political change. But the photographs bring it back—forgotten faces, forgotten ruins, forgotten pain. They reveal Accra’s hidden history, a disaster that shaped the city’s resilience. No one remembered, until the images forced memory to return.
The earthquake was not just cracked walls—it was human lives. Survivors carried scars, families rebuilt from nothing, communities learned mistrust of the earth itself. From ruins came resilience. The photographs show not just destruction, but determination. No one could erase the human story of the 1939 Gold Coast earthquake—because it lives in every survivor’s descendant, in every rebuilt street, in every whispered tale of that day when the ground shook Accra.
A worldwide unique collection of 39 original photographs documents the destruction and aftermath of the 1939 Gold Coast earthquake.
This collection is curated by Collection Remo Kurka, in cooperation with Ghana-Net.com – Ghana’s Tourism and Information Home Page.
The photos are available for editorial use and research purposes in high resolution and without watermarks.
Licensing only: None of the original physical photographs are for sale.
As a reference, websites and publications are required to link or name the source of the photos.
Resale is strictly prohibited.
For licensing inquiries and historical resources:Email: info@ghana-net.comTel: 00233549942584
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Ghana Geological Survey Department – Historical Earthquake Records Seismological Studies on West Africa – Accra Earthquake 1939 Ghana-Net.com – Tourism and Information Home Page (Collection Remo Kurka)
Summary: The 1939 Gold Coast earthquake in Accra was not only a natural disaster but also a social and political event that reshaped the city’s trajectory. Its legacy continues to inform Ghana’s understanding of resilience, urban planning, and disaster management. The unique 39-photo collection stands as a rare visual testimony to this pivotal moment in history.