PHOTOS OF Dundee missionary Mary Slessor have enabled African villagers to put a face to the name of the woman who did so much for their forebears, and now a rare recording of her voice will help them complete the picture.

A tape made from a 78 rpm record, carrying Mary’s recitation of the Prodigal Son in the native African dialect of Calabar, will soon be on its way back to south-east Nigeria.

The record belongs to Dundee man Macdonald Black and is a copy of a wax cylinder recording Mary made in Africa 99 years ago.

Last night Mr Black handed the recording over to Lawrie and Eme Mitchell of the Mary Slessor Foundation, which still carries out charity work in Nigeria.

The original wax cylinder was made in Calabar in 1906 and brought to Dundee by a district commissioner. Mr Black’s brother, Millar, was one of the engineers entrusted by Dundee Museum to make a 78 rpm recording of the cylinder in 1954.

The record was made at the former Larg’s Music Shop recording studio in Whitehall Street. It seems several copies were made and one of these was given to Mr Black.

Dr Mitchell, who spearheads the foundation with his wife, said Eme could make out Mary’s words despite the many scratches which have accumulated on the record over the years.

“The tape will be going to the village where Mary lived for more than 20 years and it will be given to the curator of the Calabar museum, where they have a corner devoted to Mary Slessor,” said Dr Mitchell.

“He will be totally fascinated to hear this.”

Mr Black said he intends to donate his 78 rpm record to the Wellgate Library where, it is understood, the original and fragile wax cylinder is kept.