The Johannesburg Heritage Foundation has been given the generous gift of a delightful 1987 centenary calendar, celebrating the 100 years of the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. The Calendar comprises six prints of watercolours by the well-known artist of that era, Philip Bawcombe.
We have taken the decision to photograph the prints and share them with the heritage community but also to sell the Calendar as a fundraiser for the JHF. The price we are asking is R600 for 6 large prints – the size is 52 x 49 cms for each print on high quality paper. They are eminently suitable for framing as a set of 6 and ideal for a company office or a study. You will be supporting a good cause as the JHF will use these funds for its work (e.g. the digitization of heritage records, more blue plaques for Johannesburg, the restoration of stained glass windows in a heritage church, supporting the Johannesburg Zoo 115 celebration etc.). We are always in need of donations to spend on heritage projects. Email - Katherine.Munro@wits.ac.za.
Thank you to Tom Bramwell for his donation and James Findlay for his ongoing support.
Philip Bawcombe watercolour prints are very collectable. He was best known for his delightful books Bawcombe’s Johannesburg (1973) and Bawcombe’s Kimberley (1976). The text in both books was by Ted Scannell. H.F. Oppenheimer hailed Philip Bawcombe’s Kimberley (1976) as capturing “the spirit and portraying the fabric of old Kimberley,” and announced that his De Beers Company had acquired the original collection for permanent display...
This wonderful album was published by Paul Schaefer and Company of Cape Town, a well-known compiler of souvenir books. The cover photograph in the oval inset shows the original Park Station which came to Johannesburg from the Netherlands in 1896. The station was designed by Jacob Klinkhammer. It was the point of arrival for visitors to Johannesburg in the early 20th century so this image is an appropriate entry portal to the town.
Panoramic view of the two faces of Johannesburg
The date of the album is somewhere during the early 20th century, probably post 1905 and pre-1910. The set of images opens with a foldout page showing panoramic views of the two faces of Johannesburg, the modern town with the focal point of Market Square and the second a view of the Simmer and Jack Mine in Germiston.
Panoramic view of Market Square
Then a view of the Market Square. The square was the economic centre of Johannesburg. This photo shows the wide expanse of the square and the intensity...
The Johannesburg Stock Exchange has had a remarkable six homes during its existence reflecting the massive growth of Johannesburg, South Africa and the institution itself over a relatively short period of time. The streets where it has been located have become famous in financial circles around the world (think Simmonds, Hollard, Diagonal and now Gwen Lane). Whenever the Stock Exchange has moved, major banks and companies have followed creating new financial districts and leaving old ones to reinvent themselves. This has led some commentators to label the JSE fickle while others have argued that the institution has been quick to adapt to changing times. Wherever you stand in the debate, it is clear that the JSE has left its mark on the City of Gold.
The First Stock Exchange Building was completed in 1887, a year after the founding of Johannesburg. It was located on the corner of Simmonds and Commissioner Streets and became the hub of the young mining camp. A frenzy of trading occurred most days with people from all over the world trying to get their share of the wealth eminating from what would soon be recognised as the largest gold field on earth.
The First Stock Exchange Building designed by Fred Holman in 1887 (From Mining Camp to Metropolis)
At the end of a working day investors and brokers would pour out onto the street to...
