Slotow Africana Collection (1810-1975) (Mss Acc 76)

Abstract

Slotow Africana Collection The Unisa Library bought the Slotow Africana Collection from Mrs SL Slotow of Slotow Africana Dealers in April 1992. The Pretoria shop closed after her husband’s death. The bulk of the material is in English, Afrikaans and Dutch. The items are arranged alphabetically and chronologically in three categories. One hundred and fourteen files were created and then divided into Subjects files, Files on people and Magazines and periodicals. The Subjects files consist of forty-nine files on diverse subjects such as the Voortrekkers, the Cape Colony and Boer Republics, the Anglo-Boer War, the 1914 Rebellion and Jopie Fourie, the First and Second World Wars, the British Royal family, churches and religion, the development of the Afrikaans language, music events and compositions, Netherlands-South African relations and special historical celebrations of South African cities and towns e.g. Johannesburg, Pretoria, Bloemfontein, Barberton and Hopetown to name a few. The file on churches and religion includes archival material on the Genadendal mission, the Methodist and Presbyterian churches, the Evangelical Lutheran and Anglican churches (also Cape Town’s St George’s Cathedral) as well as the Dutch Reformed, Reformed and Hervormde churches.

The thirty-six Files on people include interesting information on persons such as Frans Oerder, Rev GWA van der Lingen, Sir NF de Waal, Pres Kruger, Prof J Lion-Cachet, SJ de Toit, Dr DF Malan, C Louis Leipoldt and his father Rev CF Leipoldt. Of special interest is Dr. F W R Silke’s diaries (6 volumes) about his medical studies, his life and career covering the period 1878 to 1923. The section on Magazines and periodicals consists of twenty-nine rare titles which include The Bluestocking (published by the SA Association of University Women), nineteenth century religious journals such as De Honigby, De Kindervriend and De Gereformeerde Kerkbode in SA (1860-1892), Cape Monthly Magazine (1858-1880), Goue Mnora, The Veld / The African Pictorial, South African Illustrated News (1885) and J B Smithers’ manuscript Strand Street Magazine (1862-1864).

The Slotow Africana Collection (1810-1975) contains valuable and rare archival materials and information for researchers interested in South African historical and social events, theology, biography and literature.