In the article below, first published in the Gold Fields Review 1992-1993, Eris Malan tells the story of the discovery of a remarkable set of documents that filled a significant gap in the priceless Gold Fields Collection. She also traces some of the history behind the Collection including the process that led to the Cory Library at Rhodes University becoming the custodian. The article has been shortened by The Heritage Portal Team.
The Cory Library for Historical Research at Rhodes University, and the Gold Fields Collection in particular, owe their very existence to the right combination of "what ifs".
What if Sir George Cory had dedicated all of his research time to chemistry and none to history? What if the University of the Witwatersrand had accepted the offer of the Gold Fields papers and artefacts? What if environmental conditions at Luipaards Vlei Estates store had led to the destruction of an historical chain - the vital documents which eventually filled 192 packing cases?
The net result would have been no Cory Library, today one of the most important and varied sources of southern African history. The Cory would also have been denied one of the most complete collections of documents, books, photographs and memorabilia reflecting the mining, financial and economic history of the past hundred years.
Masses of material representing the empire-building phantasmagoria of Cecil John Rhodes is contained within the walls of the Cory Library. It is all there, from the signing of the concession with Lobengula to the minutes of...
