Archistori

Lifespan: 1817 St Helena - 1892 Scotland [75] Occupation: Journalist, publisher, politician. Family:  His parents were Joseph Solomon (c.1789 England - 1861 Cape Town) and Hannah Moss (1793 England - 1860 Cape Town). He married Georgina Margaret Thomson (1844 - 1933) in 1874 in Cape Town. They had five children. Image source: Old Mutual Timeline Saul Solomon (1817-1892) was one of the most influential, progressive, and fascinating figures in 19th-century South African history. Often referred to as the "Cape Disraeli" or "the member for Cape Town," he was a powerhouse merchant, media mogul, and liberal statesman who fundamentally shaped the Cape Colony's politics. Early life Born into a Jewish family on the remote island of St Helena, his family eventually migrated to Cape Town in 1831.  As a young child sent to England for schooling, he contracted an illness (likely rickets or rheumatic fever) that permanently stunted the growth of his legs. He grew to a heigh...

Founded: 1873 Good Hope Seminary in Cape Town primarily refers to two related but distinct public schools with shared historical roots: Good Hope Seminary High School (an all-girls secondary school) and Good Hope Seminary Junior School (a co-ed primary school). They are among the oldest schools in the city. Good Hope Seminary High School Photo: School Digest The school was founded on October 6, 1873, as the "Good Hope Seminary for Young Ladies" in the Gardens suburb. The founders were a group of Dutch Reformed Church ministers, including Reverend Andrew Murray (who later resigned from the committee). It was established to provide advanced, less denominationally tied education for girls, as an alternative to prevailing Roman Catholic and Anglican schools. " It was thought that Murray's Huguenot Seminary might work against the Cape Town school (later called the Good Hope Seminary). In replying to these criticisms, Murray pointed out that far from being too many, two s...

Full name:  Theunis Dirksz Van Schalkwyk / Theunis Dircksen van Schalckwijck Lifespan:  c.1639 Netherlands - bef.1717 Cape Occupation: Musketeer, soldier, fish & liquor merchant, farmer, carpenter, high-ranking official. He is considered the progenitor ( stamvader ) of the Van Schalkwyks in South Africa.  He was the first person to bring the surname (originally from the place name Schalkwijk in the Netherlands) to the Cape as a permanent settler. His surviving son Dirk became the direct male-line ancestor. Theunis was a prominent early Cape settler and one of the wealthiest free burghers of his time. Born in Zeeland, Netherlands (possibly Schalkwijk), he arrived at the Cape on 13 April 1664 (or circa 1665) (on the  Nieupoort ) as a busschieter (musketeer/soldier) in the service of the Dutch East India Company (VOC). He was granted burgher rights shortly thereafter, marking his transition to independent status. A versatile and enterprising man, Theunis...

Location: Hanover St, District Six, Cape Town Architect: Unknown Date: c1911 Status: Demolished (late 1960's) Isaac Ochberg Hall in Hanover Street, District Six (Unidentified photographer, n.d.) Approximate map location Notes The Isaac Ochberg Hall was a community hall located in District Six, Cape Town, on Hanover Street. The hall itself served as an important community venue in the vibrant, multicultural District Six (a historically mixed-race area later destroyed under apartheid's Group Areas Act in the 1960s–1970s, leading to forced removals and demolition). It was an early base and performance/rehearsal space for the EOAN Group (a non-profit cultural organization focused on opera, drama, music, and arts, primarily serving the Coloured community). The EOAN Group started using it around the 1930s–1940s, with their central offices there. In 1938, the hall was donated to EOAN via Ochberg's bequest after his death. They held rehearsals, community performances,...

Location:  Albertus St, Cape Town Architects:     Hendrick & Stander (based in Parow in c1949) Date: 1949 (date on drawings) - 1957 Status: Extant Map Notes There was originally a garage on the site.  The location formed part of District Six which suffered forced removals in 1968. The neighbouring Victorian leather harness manufacturing building (1910) to the north-west burnt down in 2020 and was subsequently demolished. The warehouse facade was eventually designed to compliment the facade of the 1910 Victorian building (unlike the 1949 drawings). There were factories to the south-east that were demolished during the forced removals. Both vacant areas are currently used for parking. Drawings Plans Elevations Street view (2022).  Source: Katie Thomas Warehouse with matching facade on the right, with the burnt-down factory on the left. Source: Katie Thomas Sources Luana Mae de Sousa Teixeira Manhiça. 2022. Architecture for Performance. (UCT thesis) Tho...