The Story of HUBERT DAVIES. By Stephen Orpen. Early Johannesburg

English & Afrikaans text. Hard cover, 111 pages. Very good condition. Under 1kg.

'Despite the taste for amusements, however, most people contributed long hours toward the building of the gold mining industry, facilities to support it, and to the development of the city itself. In fact, by 1891 a visiting journalist, Dennis Edwards, had already noted that "the people are ambitious, and although there are many corrugated iron houses, most of the shops and offices are of stone or brick and some have pretentions to architectural design. A mania has set in for building; and stores, offices and private homes are being run up in every direction". Contributing towards this development was a single-minded young electrical engineer who had arrived in South Africa in 1889. Soon after his arrival he made a name for himself by installing the Witwatersrand's first electric light and telephone at the Jumpers Gold mine - where he was then employed - and as a result was soon asked to undertake a number of other electrical works. In 1891 he founded his own company, through which he became responsible for much of the electrical and mechanical innovation and installation in South Africa until his death in 1919. His name, of course, was John Hubert Davies and this is the story of the company he founded.'