I was wondering whether anyone could advise us on a matter pertaining to history and architecture relating to the Old Non-European Hospital precinct in Hillbrow.

A colleague Tracey and I are based in a portion of the old precinct as part of the DoH Government Mortuary and Forensic Pathology Services. We are based only in a small portion of the building as the Department of Health never renovated the entire complex and we were only meant to be based here for a short period.

Both Tracey and I enjoy the old History part of JHB. We think it also important to try and capture some of the history of health in JHB before it disappears to time.
 
Tracey is our forensic photographer and one day (taking a break from taking photos of the victims of unnatural deaths) along with some colleagues, we managed to access the old ward complex next door. She took numerous photographs (which I think are beautiful) and I suggested to her perhaps she should try obtain some of the “before” pictures of the same hospital and wards etc. She has no idea of where to go and access such photos (should they even exist), but surely they would need to be somewhere. I mean people worked here, there was a community based here that accessed the property day in and day out, surely there would have to be some form of informal as well as formal photographs?

Is there some vault or official library that one could access to try and locate such pictures? Perhaps the original architect or engineering firm involved in the building of the complex may have? Perhaps readers may have photographs lying at the bottom of af a drawer?

Any assistance would be welcome.

Ildi Fenyvesi Wainer - Lecturer Division of Forensic Medicine and Pathology, University of the Witwatersrand
Tel: (011) 489 1641 | Mobile: 083 4521261 | ildi.wainer@wits.ac.za