Friends of Iziko South African Museum - July 2018 Newsletter

FRIENDS OF IZIKO SOUTH AFRICAN

MUSEUM Non-Profit Organisation 052-511-NPO Postal address: P O Box 61 Cape Town 8000 South Africa Physical address: 25 Queen Victoria Street Cape Town SA Phone: 021 481 3913 Cell: 072 225 6893 E-mail: samfriends@iziko.org.za Website: http://www.iziko.org.za/static/page/friends-of-thesouth-african-museum Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ FriendsofIzikoSAMuseum/

NEWSLETTER – JULY 2018

LECTURE PROGRAMME 2018 The lectures have been changed to the last Wednesday of each month. The lectures continue to be offered at 18:00.

The programme for lectures and outings is subject to change should this become necessary.

Wednesday 25-July 18:00 Annual General Meeting Speaker: Selwyn Davidowitz Title: Hidden gems of Cape Town Wednesday 29-August Speaker: Dr Marise Heyns Title: The history of forensic science in South Africa Wednesday 26-September Speaker: Nick Norman Title: TBA

The Friends programme continues to offer interesting lecture topics and exciting activities.

We hope you will participate and enjoy these. We welcome suggestions from members; please contact us should you come across exciting events and lectures.

OUTINGS

Please let me know if you have moved or your contact details have changed so that our records can be updated and you continue to receive our emails and newsletters.

Field trips 27 to 28 July Robben Island overnight trip: a geological and historical perspective

NEW COMMITTEE MEMBERS

17 to 19 August Geological tour to Mossel Bay, Wilderness and Sedgefield

Although the current Friends committee members are not as old as some of the artefacts on display in the Iziko South African Museum, the average age is of concern and we have been encouraging new, younger members to join the committee.

We are therefore delighted to welcome significantly younger Kathy Jay and Brian Davey to the committee and thank them for their assistance in ensuring that we continue our programme of interesting lectures and funfilled outings.

Booking and advance payment to secure your booking is essential for all outings. Please look out for notices of outings.

12 to 14 September Porcupine Hills conservation area: nature and fynbos-renosterveld region near Villiersdorp Outings Thursday 19 July Twenty-seven years of photojournalism at Chavonnes Battery Museum, Waterfront Wednesday 15 Aug Visit to the Lastovica bottle collection

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REPORT BACKS BOLUS HERBARIUM AND LIBRARY – UCT The Friends were extremely lucky to visit to the Bolus herbarium and library before the tenure of the current curator, Terry Trinder-Smith, came to an end with his retirement. Friends had the privilege of Terry imparting his knowledge and guiding us through the herbarium and library The herbarium was established in 1895 by Harry Bolus, a business man, amateur botanist and botanical artist who bequeathed his collection and library, and a large part of his fortune, to the then South African College, today UCT. As the oldest functioning herbarium in the country, its primary function is aiding in the teaching and research on the diversity of southern African flora. Emphasis is placed on the Cape floristic region and research focuses mainly on taxonomy, systematics, biogeography and endemism. There are around 350 000 specimens in what is the third largest herbarium in the country and the third largest university herbarium in the southern hemisphere.

The collection is recognised for its superb representation of the Cape flora and the large number of type specimens it houses.

Terry Trinder-Smith explained the preservation of the specimens to us – the standard flower press that we all know from pressing flowers, as well as the housing of the specimens which are in steel cabinets in a controlled and humidified environment. He also discussed methods of research. He illustrated his talk with reference material in the form of dried specimens, sketches (some fine botanical drawings: watercolours) and notes. He also showed us the comprehensive literature available to researchers and students. A point he made that was of particular interest was that SANBI (the SA National Biodiversity Institute) is investigating what effect fracking in the Karoo will have on plant life and other species and are doing so with the extensive use of the herbarium and its reference sources.

We concluded with a tour of the library – a treasure trove of reference material for any aspiring botanist and researcher – where we were shown the notebooks of Elsie Esterhuysen who worked at the Bolus Herbarium for many years and was a prolific plant collector. She has been described as ‘the most outstanding collector ever of South African flora’. How exciting it was to page through her notebooks and see her recordings, which was a fitting conclusion to a very informative and worthwhile visit.

Sherry Woods DE GOEDE HOOP MASONIC TEMPLE A record crowd of forty seven Friends, members and non-members, visited South Africa’s oldest Masonic Lodge which is situated in the Parliament precinct on land purchased in 1800. The building was designed by Louis Michel Thibault (1750– 1815) whose building designs can be seen across Cape Town. The building follows the dimensions of the Temple of King Solomon as described in the Old Testament.

Kenneth Marcus, a Freemason for over forty years, met us outside the building to show us a beautiful fountain under a huge tree of an unknown species which is a national monument. The parking surrounding the building is let to Parliament to generate an income for the Lodge. The Lodge is for men only although there are female Freemasons who have separate Lodges, or who are welcome to use this Lodge, of course for women only occasions.

We were taken to the bench-lined main temple where Kenneth gave us a fascinating history and explanation of Freemasonry from the time of medieval stonemasons’ guilds. As these first meetings took place out of doors, the ceiling of this temple is decorated to look like the open sky, a really beautiful view. Kenneth has an interest and passion for researching the history of Freemasonry which he generously shared with us. He stressed the need to ensure the younger generation become Masons to ensure longevity, and enjoys his role of mentoring the younger men and told us that: ‘Freemasonry makes better men of good men for the betterment of society as a whole.’

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Our tour of the building took us to three smaller ritual chambers where we saw magnificent sculptures by Anton Anreith (1754–1822) which survived a fire in 1892. The first chamber houses his statue of Silence where the Ritual of Silence is performed. Masonry memorabilia is displayed for viewing here. Kenneth encouraged anyone who has articles from family members to hand them to any Lodge as these are either used or put on display.

HEMELLIGGAAM or THE ATTEMPT TO BE HERE NOW (CHAPTER ONE)

The Chamber of Meditation contains the statue of the mythical slain Temple architect Hiram Abiff.

The only light in this room comes from the statue’s illuminated alcove. Skulls and bones are situated in small niches high on the walls.

Original glass plates of some very old photographs make a fascinating addition to the modern images on the walls. There are books and various articles on display to further enhance the exhibition.

The Middle Chamber has a state of Grief, a weeping child and woman. This is the largest of the side chambers, painted black apart from the statue alcoves.

We spent most interesting and informative morning, during which the veil of secrecy surrounding the Freemasons was lifted for all of us.

Charlotte Honiball Below: Propogation of proteas at Kirstenbosch.

Photo by Sherry Woods

The Friends were privileged to hear Tommaso Fiscaletti and Nic Grobler talk so passionately about what led to their collaboration for the exhibition Hemelliggaam or the attempt to be here now (Chapter One). They provided insights into this beautiful photographic exhibition which took them two years to complete.

Photographs outside in the Company’s garden expand the exhibition beyond the doors of the museum. The vegetation and plants in the garden make a perfect backdrop for the work that is displayed, making it interesting to view these photographs from this perspective.

The exhibition explores the existential aspects of the human-environment-astronomy relationship, a perfect example of art meeting science. It is well worth visiting. Our thanks to Tommaso and Nic for spending time with us.

Charlotte Honiball

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KIRSTENBOSCH GREENHOUSES AND SPECIAL COLLECTIONS NURSERY A visit to Kirstenbosch is always special, but the Friends’ recent visit to the Kirstenbosch greenhouses and the special collections nursery was even more so as being able to go behind the scenes at this acclaimed botanic garden, one of the world’s best, was a great privilege.

Our host and guide was Nomama Mei, who was a marvellous walking, talking conveyor of facts, figures and interesting snippets (or should that be ‘cuttings’) of information on various plant species and their cultivation. She qualified in agriculture, then changed to horticulture and is currently studying towards her Masters degree. She led us through the greenhouses exhibiting enormous passion for her work and that of others in her field. We first looked at the ericas in an area with older more woody plants, then at the greenhouse where a team works to ensure that perfect erica specimens make their way into the gardens. Also housed in the greenhouse were protea cuttings.

There was much discussion on cuttings versus seeds and the propagation from either method, the smoking of protea seeds, growing mediums and much, much more.

Following this we went to a very large greenhouse where there was an abundance of aloes, succulents and other varieties of fynbos, as well as two botany students who were ‘pricking out’ seedlings. Our final stop took us to a greenhouse where drosera species (sundews) were being propagated. A lone fly joined us and was soon in the clutches of one of the plants affording us the opportunity of seeing how these carnivorous little plants operate. Great for us, not so great for the fly.

This plant nursery has been in existence since 1913 and was originally situated in the dell. It is a powerhouse for producing the wonderful and varied plant material we are privileged to see when we visit Kirstenbosch.

Sherry Woods Below: Photos by Sherry Woods

All fascinating and useful information for those of us who have fynbos gardens that include these plants. We also had the pleasure of being ‘misted’ while we were there, so we got the full experience of how the cuttings are watered.

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DISTICT SIX MUSEUM The Friends spent a fascinating morning at the District Six Museum. Established in December 1994, the museum works with the memories of the District Six experience and with that of forced removals.

The museum guides are all former residents who add their personal stories in order to enrich visits.

Noor Ebrahim, one of the founder members of the District Six Museum and author of the book, My Life in District 6, told us about the history of the area and told his family’s personal story. He is a born storyteller and the manner in which he shared this very moving story provided much entertainment.

District Six was named the sixth municipal district of Cape Town in 1867. Originally established as a mixed community of freed slaves, merchants, artisans, labourers and immigrants, it was a vibrant centre with close links to the city and the port. By the beginning of the twentieth century, however, the process of forced removals and marginalisation had begun; the last residents were forced out of the area in 1981. Some of the former residents are busy with land claims, which has proved to be a long and slow process. Some new houses in the area have, however, been completed and are inhabited.

The museum building started as a wine cellar and then became the Freedom Church, frequented by the residents. When they were moved, the church fell into disuse until it, appropriately, became the District Six Museum. Fortunately one of the men involved in the demolition of District Six kept street signs and other mementos which he donated to the museum. These signs are displayed. The map of the area replicated on the floor is a very good representation of what the area looked like. The space has been tastefully filled to give an idea of the activities that used to take place, ranging from medical equipment to hairdressing to music events and much more.

It was wonderful to see how popular this museum is as we rubbed shoulders with international visitors and local groups. Books on the topic, postcards and tasteful items are on sale.

Charlotte Honiball Right: Photos by Sherry Woods

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WELGEMEEND AND BOERNEEF ART COLLECTION The historic Welgemeend home on the grounds of Jan van Riebeeck high school houses the Boerneef art collection. It is one of the estates on the slopes of Table Mountain above the Company’s garden granted during the seventeenth century to free burghers and officials of the VOC.

VERGELEGEN, SOMERSET WEST After waiting for months for some decent rain, the heavens opened on us during our recent outing to Vergelegen in Somerset West.

Fortunately the visit was mostly indoors, preventing us form traipsing mud into the very special library and manor house. Our host told us about the history of the library collection, after which we were shown some very special old books that included beautiful botanical drawings and paintings that were several hundred years old.

Some very early travel diaries were also available for us to look at.

We received instructions on how to open an old book correctly and on how to remove and replace a book from a full shelf without ‘stressing its bindings’. We were also told about the pros and cons of using gloves as well as whether to oil old leather books. We were free to ask questions, which we certainly did. We then went to the old manor house where we could have spent several hours reading the names of early slaves and their origins and looking at the very detailed maps and at the farm history. All this information certainly added to our knowledge of the early days in the Cape. After receiving all this new knowledge, we were more than ready to share the enjoyable lunch.

Rosemary Smythe

This historic home and national heritage site is open to the public only by special request. The Boerneef art collection consists of work by Irma Stern, Maggie Laubscher, May Hillhouse, Cecil Higgs, Jean Weltz, Hugo Naudé, Enslin du Plessis, Pierneef, Alexis Preller and Pieter Wenning. It is considered to be one of the most comprehensive and best representative collections of early South African art.

The Friends were privileged to visit this treasure trove for a second time. On this occasion Amanda Botha, writer and journalist, discussed some of the art on display. She was fortunate to meet Boerneef at a bus stop when she was fourteen and he was an important influence in her life. She spent time with him visiting and meeting artists such as Irma Stern, Cecil Higgs and many others. Boerneef never owned a car or travelled on holiday. He was a serious art collector and amassed a marvellous collection. About half of this collection is on display at Welgemeend together with art collected by Jan van Riebeek School. Amanda shared many wonderful personal stories with us and was encouraged to write a book to document this interesting history.

Helena le Roux of Friends of Welgemeend gave us the history of the beautiful house and told us some interesting and amusing anecdotes. They are in the process of restoring the house room by room, which is an enormous and expensive task. We will certainly visit this special house again during their art month later in the year.

Charlotte Honiball

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SIR LOWRY’S PASS VISIT It was very exciting to meet completely enveloped in mist below the pass near Gordons Bay at the start of this outing. With Ivor Jardine introducing us to some of the history of Sir Lowry’s Pass village, we soon forgot the mist. His talk provided a fascinating insight into the early days of travel in this area. The sky cleared as we made our way up the pass, giving us a view of the Cape flats under the cover of mist.

The seeds and pods obtained from Kirstenbosch have been beautifully displayed on a shiny wooden table in hand turned wooden bowls and around the fireplace in glass vases and test tubes which make an impact when entering these areas.

Next we were met by a Cape Nature official who led us into the reserve where we parked and started the walk up to the top of the ‘wagon tracks’ of the old pass. To see evidence of these tracks gave one a sense of admiration for the sheer determination of the early settlers who reached beyond the Cape mountain barriers. After this we had lunch at the Pool Room in Oak Valley, a lovely setting to end an interesting outing.

Mary gave us an insight into why she had chosen these particular works and how decisions about where to display them were made. She gave us interesting background information about the artists and the art they had submitted which made for a most enjoyable and informative visit. To add to the enjoyment, some of the bird paintings have a code which can be scanned into a smart phone to show short videos of that particular bird’s habitat and allows one to hear the bird calls. Accessing and hearing this caused much pleasure and amusement. This exhibition is well worth visiting.

Rosemary Smythe

Charlotte Honiball

WILD HARVEST - NECTARY, BERRIES, HARVEST AND SEEDS EXHIBITION The Friends visited the Irma Stern Museum to view this wonderful exhibition curated by Mary van Blommestein. The exhibition was arranged in association with the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) Herbarium in Pretoria and members of the Botanical Artists’ Association of Southern Africa, who created new work specifically for this exhibition.

Photo below by Maxine Davies

In addition to paintings recording the life cycle and showing the development stages of our indigenous flora, there is a small, separate component featuring fruit and seed eating birds sometimes found in private and public gardens by Kenneth Newman. These exquisite watercolours have been generously made available by members of the Newman family. It was a privilege to see them.

Highlights are the selection of plates from the publication Wild Flowers of the Transvaal by Cythna Letty, the first resident botanical artist at SANBI in Pretoria, as well as work by one of her successors, internationally renowned Gillian Condy, who has contributed illustrations to Geophytic Pelargoniums and Grass Aloes of the South African Veld.

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FOSSIL TRIP Once again Friends were privileged to be led by Roger Smith, ably assisted by his team Sibusiso Mtungata and Claire Browning. Lemoenfontein Game Lodge at Beaufort West was our home for four nights. There were no glitches on the trip, thanks to Charlotte’s efficiency and co-operation from staff at Lemoenfontein.

On the first evening by Roger gave an introductory lecture before we tucked into an excellent Karoo dinner, the first of the delicious meals each morning and evening. Evening meals consisted of a starter, two main courses accompanied by five vegetables, dessert and finally tea or coffee.

After a hearty breakfast the next morning we set out for Dunedin, a sheep farm up on the escarpment. It was really cold, but Claire had coffee and tea prepared to warm us before tackling the slopes. Roger showed us how to look for fossils, usually by seeing bits of white bone amongst the dark shale and mud rock. It wasn’t long before finds were made. Sibu and Claire left the field early to prepare lunch, a delicious boerewors braai in the veld done by Sibu with Claire’s salads and sauces, assisted by Rosemarie Smythe of Friends’ committee. After lunch we went back to the slopes, where Linda Rose found a gorgonopsian skull, which Roger will excavate for the museum’s collection. Roger even managed to collect the tips of the canines, which usually break off when removing the skull from the surrounding rock.

Friday started off at Putfontein farm where Roger told us how paleo ripples were formed 260 million years ago in shallow water where it was beautifully preserved as rock. We went in search of fossils, but didn’t have much luck. However, the joy of being in the Karoo with its wide-open spaces and solitude, plus hundreds of different plants, including tiny specimens hardly visible to the naked eye, made being there very special. Again Claire and Sibu left early to prepare lunch, a chicken breast braai in pita bread with all sorts of goodies to go with it.

Very little was found after lunch, due in part to the bones being very dark and not easy to see. Eric Harley delivered a pre-dinner talk on succulents, which was very informative and appropriate in these water-scarce times.

We set out in an icy wind on Saturday, heading up the De Jager Pass to Dassiesfontein farm.

Unfortunately the farmer had locked the gate. A make-shift stairway consisting of two picnic tables and a cooler box enabled everyone, including our oldest participant John Hund at 86, to climb over the fence. Numerous finds of various fossils were made, marked with toilet paper to enable Roger decide whether or not excavate them. Claire had prepared an Italian lunch of mozzarella and other cheeses and cold meats with various salads, again excellent fare in the wildnerness. We then headed up the slopes on the opposite farm, where Malcolm Cerfonteyn found another gorgonopsian which Roger collected the next day.

A delicious braai Saturday evening at Lemoenfontein was a fitting end to a great trip. Competent leader, capable assistants, obliging hosts and staff who couldn’t do enough for us, and most importantly, really nice like-minded participants.

Munro Bloch NEW MEMBERS Welcome to the following new members: Yvonne Steyn, Lorraine Weers, Philanie du Toit, Bridget O’Donoghue, Nina Maister, Liz Wilkins, Marise Heyns, Joy Bouchier, Monika Rieder, Roger Lewis, Nicolette Lehmann Please note that membership renewals are due at the end of December. If your membership is not renewed you will no longer be on the mailing list for information regarding lectures and outings.

Charlotte Honiball Friends of Iziko South African Museum

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