South Africa commemorates Women's Month in August every year and September is celebrated as Heritage Month and is a time for reflection about our past. With this in mind the Border Historical Society (BHS) are pleased to announce our speaker for September 2024 (in association with the Friends of the East London Museum).

The talk is titled: Mrs Clarke of Pondoland - the photographer (b. 1890 – d. 1948) and will be presented by Patrick Clarke Hutchison on Saturday 21 September 2024 at 14:30 in the Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer Hall at the East London Museum

In the mid 1920's Mrs Fred Clarke of Insimbini, Umngazana and Gosshill photographed the Pondo people living in these areas and ultimately published 450 of her photographs in a large album titled  "Native Life in Western Pondoland". Copies of this album are now difficult to find and are held in some of the better known research libraries and archives around the world.

The talk reconstructs the life of Ethel Eugene Goss who was to become Mrs Fred Clarke.

The presentation will be made by Patrick Clarke Hutchison, a grandson of the photographer, who is preparing the album for republication.

Scanned copies of three of Mrs Fred Clarke's fine black and white photographs are attached.

Who is Patrick Hutchison? Dr Hutchison is a General Practitioner in East London with a long standing interest in, and a substantial library relating to, the history of the Eastern Cape.

There will be time for questions. Tea and coffee will be served after the talk.