Rare Books and Research

Pretoria is a haven for rare book collectors. The dry air of the Highveld seems to preserve books better and the quality of the Africana that I have bought in Pretoria has always impressed me. The prices are always better and I normally pay a third of the price I would pay in Cape Town or online.

 

Being in Pretoria on a public holiday gave us the opportunity to go to the antiques fair at the Voortrekker monument.  At one book stall I had to stop myself from buying Africana that I already had in my collection just because it was so cheap.

Very good priced Africana

I could not believe my luck when I came across the trilogy of books by Dr P J van der Merwe about the stock farmers in the old Cape Colony. His main interest was in the history of the Trekboers, (not the Voortrekkers).

The Trilogy consists of,

•          Die noordwaartse beweging van die Boere voor die Groot Trek, 1770-1842 Den Haag, 1937
•          Die trekboer in die geskiedenis van die Kaapkolonie, 1657-1842, Kaapstad 1938. (translated by Roger B. Beck: The Migrant Farmer in the History of the Cape Colony, Ohio University Press, 1995)
•          Trek. Studies oor die mobiliteit van die pioniersbevolking aan die Kaap, Kaapstad 1945

The trilogy

The first book “Die noordwaartse beweging van die Boere voor die Groot Trek” was written as the thesis for his DPhil in 1937 at the age of 25.

In 1938 he joined the History Department of the Stellenbosch University as lecturer, became senior lecturer in 1939 and professor in 1955.

The book “Die trekboer in die geskiedenis van die Kaapkolonie, 1657-1842” was a major part of the research into the history of the Loan farm of which Towerwater was once a part. The work also assisted our understanding of how later the quitrent grant was made. Indicating that the buildings on the property were part of the core of buildings that was used as beacon from which point the quitrent grant was measured.

To find not only the one, but all three books for our collection was such a pleasing experience. It will give me the opportunity to research the development of farms and the related vernacular traditions at leisure. One never stops learning and I am grateful to authors that dedicate so much time in their research and recording of information that can enlighten me as a reader.