After oil was discovered in Kuwait in 1938, Britain seized the
area for itself. Throughout the booming 1950s, the British remained technically in charge, although the merchant class the local
merchant class had some success in maintaining some political control.
When Kuwait finally achieved independence in 1961, this merchant class was
able to help shepard the increasingly wealthy society into becoming one
of the more successful Gulf states.
Here, Kuwaiti policemen wear British-style winter coats in 1950.
F. H. Andrus
