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 South Africa Phone: 021 481 3913 Fax: 021 481 3993 Cell: 072 225 6893 E-mail: samfriends@iziko.org.za Website http://www.iziko.org.za/; http://www.iziko.org.za/ static/page/friends-of-the-south-african-museum
The speaker will give details about the digitisation and online access to the new Pathology Learning Centre at the University. The lecture will end with a discussion on interdisciplinary collaboration between art and pathology, historically interesting specimens and specimens that reflect important diseases in our country as well as old postmortem records. Wednesday 5 March: A guided tour of the Pathology Museum led by Dr Yeats. Cost: Members: R50; Non-members: R60
NEWSLETTER – FEBRUARY 2014
The Friends 2014 programme begins this month and members can look forward to interesting lectures as well as new outings and some old favourites. It will be lovely to see you all at our lectures and on our excursions.
WHAT’S IN STORE FOR 2014 The programme for 2014 has many excellent lectures and excursions in store thanks to the energetic and creative committee as well as welcome suggestions from members. We are grateful to members for their suggestions. The lecture programme will run as usual on the last Tuesday of each month. All lectures will be in the TH Barry Lecture Theatre at 19:00, unless otherwise advertised. Entrance is free to members on presentation of a valid 2014 membership card. Visitors are asked for a donation of R30 per lecture.
LECTURE PROGRAMME Tuesday 25 February Speaker: Dr Jane Yeats Topic: The reinvention of a pathology museum
Tuesday 25 March Speaker: Associate Professor Patrick Woudt, Department of Astronomy, UCT Topic: Explosive Transients and other Energetic Events in the Sky Ahead of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) in Africa the South African MeerKAT radio telescope array will perform a number of legacy style scientific surveys on what will be the most sensitive radio telescope in the southern hemisphere. One of these legacy surveys (ThunderKAT) will use novel ways of searching for transient signals in the live data stream. Fast computing will allow us to search for signals that come and go in a matter of seconds. In this talk an overview of the kind of astrophysical processes – for example stellar explosions, the merger of compact stars or the disruption of stars in the proximity of a black hole – that give rise to these transient signals will be given and an explanation given on how new techniques in radio astronomy allow us to see the Universe in a new way.
This lecture will provide a brief overview of the history of the pathology museum at the University of Cape Town (UCT), followed by a discussion on the rise and fall of pathology museums used in medical education and the revival and survival of these museums in the twenty first century.
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Tuesday 29 April Speaker: William Liltved Topic: The Cape orchids – a regional monograph of the orchids of the Cape floristic region On 29 November 1989, the day after returning to Cape Town from a stay in California, Bill Liltved wondered whether the purple flowers found bobbing among the dense fynbos vegetation on the Cape Peninsula were those of an orchid. The species was later identified as Disa purpurascens. This chance incident triggered his interest in orchidology and marked the beginning of a long road of discovery that eventually led to the publication of a regional monograph, The Cape Orchids. Orchids are among the most treasured elements of the Cape flora and in this lecture Bill will discuss the production of his new book, illustrating an abundant array of often highly endangered species in their natural habitats.
OUTINGS WALKING TOUR OF PAARL Saturday 5 April Spend the day exploring the history and heritage of some of Paarl’s interesting highlights guided by enthusiastic members of the Heritage Society. The day will begin with a visit to the art collection at KWV Sensorium and end with a picnic lunch in the beautiful private garden of Dr and Mrs Gericke which is not normally open to the public. The garden is stylishly laid out and is noted for a number of ancient trees which provide a lovely setting for the Gerickes unusual Victorian home. Booking is essential as numbers are limited to 20. Cost: Members – R75; Non-members – R85
The KWV art collection includes Irma Stern’s Harvest, the largest surviving Stern piece in South Africa.
FOUR CAPE PASSES Saturday 12 April
Tuesday 24 June Speaker: Dr Elizabeth van Heyningen Topic: To be announced Tuesday 29 July Speaker: Professor Anusuya Chinsamy-Turan Title: Pterosaurs… the flying reptile
A reconstruction of Ornithocheirus, a pterosaur, in the documentary Walking with Dinosaurs.
Do you find mountain passes beautiful, interesting or evocative? Do you want to know more about the passes near Cape Town? If you do, please join geologist Coenie de Beer from the Council for Geoscience on this unusual excursion. Coenie de Beer will take participants on an approximately 300 kilometre round trip via the Nuwekloof through Mitchell’s Pass, the Gydo and Theronsberg Passes and the Swaarmoed Pass near Ceres. En route he will discuss aspects of these passes and share interesting facts about the effects of the 1969 Tulbagh earthquake. This excursion includes stopping at the Earthquake Museum in Tulbagh to see the photographic display on this earthquake that caused much damage in the area. Please bring a picnic lunch, which we will stop to have along the way. In order to not contribute more than we need to the carbon footprint and to minimise the number of vehicles on this excursion we would like participants to share vehicles. For further information please contact Maxine at 072 225 6893. Cost: Members R200; non-members R250
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FOSSIL HUNTING IN AND AROUND FRASERBURG 30 April to 4 May Have you ever watched a television programme on fossil collecting, perhaps with David Attenborough, and dreamed of making a new discovery yourself? Have you ever spent time in the Karoo with nothing but the wide open spaces interspersed with koppies and natural vegetation, the only movement sheep and the odd bokkie or rabbit, the only sound the wind and birds? Do you enjoy learning from experts in the company of like-minded individuals? If you have not enjoyed this experience we suggest you join the annual fossil hunting trip with Dr Roger Smith where you will not only have this experience but also the opportunity to find fossils and contribute to the Museum’s collections and scientific research. Accommodation is shared at Die Kliphuis, a comfortable bed and breakfast in Fraserberg. All meals and refreshments in the field are included; drinks are excluded. To minimise the number of vehicles we encourage participants to share transport. Please let Maxine know whether you require a lift, or, if you can provide transport the number of passengers you can take. We can take 22 participants. Reservation is confirmed on receipt of payment in full. Cost: Members: R2 700 per person sharing; single rooms cost R3 100 Non-members: R3 300 per person sharing; single rooms cost R3 700
Intrepid palaeontologist on trackway: Dr Roger Smith demonstrating the “dinocephalian walk” on the unique 255 million year old trackway preserved on a sandstone surface outside Fraserburg. Photo taken at last year’s trip.
OTHER OUTINGS TO LOOK FORWARD TO IN 2014 Saturday 21 June: Walk the Platteklip trail with Matt Weisse. Tuesday 21 October: Kirstenbosch special – ‘What Evolution is’ with Des Lazar Details of the following outings will be provided closer to the time. • Day trip to Donkergat • Weekend in the Kogelberg Nature Reserve • Sunday morning safari in search of the Big Five in Central Cape Town with Alderman Owen Kinahan THE BIG FIVE IN CENTRAL CAPE TOWN We regretably had to cancel this outing due to unforeseen circumstances last year. However, our expedition leader, Owen Kinahan, will lead the safari through the wilds of the CBD later in the year in search of the elusive Big Five. The date and details will be sent out as soon as they have been finalised. Booking and payment in advance is essential on all outings in order to secure your place as numbers are limited.
MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL FOR 2014 Membership of the Friends is for a calendar year and therefore was due for renewal by 31 December. The rates for 2014 are shown below. However if you joined after 1 September your membership will then run through to December 2014. A renewal form was sent to you in October, November and December. Please ensure that it is completed and returned along with your proof of payment. If making payment by cash or with a cheque it is important that you include R20 to cover the bank charges that will be levied to the Friends account. An EFT is the only method of payment that does not incur bank charges. Should your subscription for 2014 not be paid by 31 March your membership will lapse. CATEGORY WITH EMAIL WITHOUT EMAIL Seniors & Students R 150.00 R 220.00 Individuals R 220.00 R 285.00 Family R 360.00 R 430.00 (2 adults + 2 children)
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THE FRIENDS OFFICE
WELCOME TO NEW MEMBERS
The Friends office has been moved back to the Museum and is once again fully operational. I will be in the office as usual on Wednesdays and Fridays from 10:00 to 16:00. The landline number remains the same: 021 481 3913. You can use the cell number 072 225 6893 at other times during working hours.
It is a pleasure to welcome new members to the Friends and we look forward to meeting you all at future Friends activities.
FACEBOOK AND TWITTER You can now keep up to date with Friends activities by clicking on our group Facebook page: facebook.com/FriendsofIzikoSAMuseum You can also see what is happening and add your comments on Twitter @FriendsSAMuseum. Your interaction, comments and ideas on these sites will be appreciated.
Karen Alterthum Mario Pestano Sona Buys Dr Sara Pienaar Andrea K端hn Bart van Reenan Thomas Linder Inge van Reenan Carrie Linder Adam Reeves Joseph Linder Erika Reeves Christopher Linder Ryan and Alex Reeves Olivia Linder Dr Wendy Taylor Helen Miller Shelley Donaldson I look forward to seeing you all in 2014. Maxine Davies Friends of Iziko South African Museum
Table Mountain from the Van Riebeeck Quarry showing some interesting formations taken by Isabel Pinto.
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