A top photographer and family friend of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, has shared his shock at seeing a racist photo of a tobacco plantation being used to sell cigars in a Surrey high street shop.
Misan Harriman, who captured Lilibet's first birthday at Frogmore for the Duke and Duchess, took to X to tell his followers about his visit to Farrants store in Cobham this week.
Harriman said he was stunned to find a large black-and-white photo showing "broken black men and their overseers" behind the shop's tills.
The photograph also features the words "We sell tobacco" alongside black workers on a plantation.
Misan Harriman said he was stunned to find a large black-and-white photo showing 'broken black men and their overseers' behind the shop's tills
PA
The 46-year-old filmed inside the store, before expressing his fury over the use of oppression to promote its products, describing it as "triggering" and "damaging to many people".
In September 2020, Harriman became the first black male photographer to shoot a British Vogue cover in its then-105-year history.
In a caption accompanying the video, he wrote: "There is a MASSIVE picture that is pride of place at the point of payment.
"It is an image of black men, broken black men at a tobacco plantation with their overseers next to them?!?! I kid you not! This is in a family store, this imagery is massive triggering and racist. And there is no conceivable reason it should be there!
"I’m so thankful I wasn’t with my girls. How on earth could anyone have shopped there and found that image acceptable. This is exhausting and damaging to many people."
According to England assistant football coach Jimmy Floyd-Hasselbaink, the shop's owner David Worsfold said in 2020 that the image would be removed after he had complained about it.
The former Chelsea footballer responded on his Instagram account, saying: "Stories come and go.
"This needs some attention @farrants_cobham, I think it’s time you followed through on your word from 2020 and replaced this image."
Misan Harriman captured Lilibet's first birthday at Frogmore for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex
ArchewellIn a separate post on X, the Dutch international said: "Hi family and friends, I hope you’re all well. Can I ask for help in sharing this on all your social media profiles. This is our local newsagents and we’ve been fighting this for 3 years. It’s finally going to get some attention and the more who post the more it’ll make an impact."
Another commenter added: "I have also spoken to them and none of us will go into the shop because of it. The image is completely unacceptable and we must keep pushing them to take it down.
"There's so many beautiful pictures in the world to choose from but yet they choose this".
