A Johannesburg Album (Historical Postcards) - Oscar I. Norwich

In his book, A Johannesburg Album, Dr Oscar Norwich traces the beginnings and early development of Johannesburgs suburbs in a series of over 325 historical picture postcards, most of them in colour. The pictures are all reproduced from original postcards, the majority drawn from Dr Norwichs personal collection which he began in earnest about twenty-five years ago.

The book describes the earliest suburbs and areas of the mining town, beginning with the Market Square and including suburbs such as Doornfontein, Jeppestown, Fordsburg, Parktown, Saxonwold, Yeoville, Berea, and Braamfontein. Each chapter begins with a brief history of the suburb and continues with the magnificent postcards. There are also chapters on Crises and Events, including the Jameson Raid, the Braamfontein dynamite explosion and the 1913 miners strike; Chinese on the Mines and Mining.

This album, the result of many years collecting and research, will be a delight to everyone, particularly those with an interest in architecture, and those who can remember the earliest suburbs nestling in the koppies, miles from the town centre.