Hermanus

"This Town is known for many things, not least of all the abundance of whales that skirt past the coast every Year in spring and summer!" Visit Hermanus, a Seaside Town, South East of Cape Town, in South Africa’s Western Cape Province. It's known as a: 'Whale-Watching Destination'. The Old Harbour Museum is a Site encompassing: 'The old Harbour, a Fishermen’s Village and the Whale House Museum.' (The latter has informative displays and a suspended skeleton of a whale!) The Old Harbour was proclaimed a Museum in 1972. The first Curator Mr Guy Clark, had the Area cleaned up, since it had been neglected since the late 1960's. This was after the last fishermen were removed. Cement and stone work was repaired and old fishing boats were collected and repaired, for outdoor display.(AS SEEN IN THE PHOTO)

Some of the demolished old Fishing Shacks, from the early Days were rebuilt along the Slopes and an indoor Museum was developed in it. In time more Shacks were rebuilt. In 1983, the Trustees bought the Historic Area, above the Harbour. The reconstruction was completed in 1987. Today De Wet's Huis Photo Museum houses a collection of very old photographs of Hermanus, going back to 1875. Many of the characters of the formative days of Hermanus are among those photographed, as well as many Buildings. ("That sadly are no longer there!") In 1983, the old Dutch Reform Sunday School was dismantled and moved to the Fisherman’s Village, where it was rebuilt (stone for stone and using the very same timber). This is where it stands today as: "De Wets Huis". The reconstruction project took some four Years to complete. "It holds many treasures in terms of a photographic exhibition of the Town itself, as well as of the people and transport that once characterised it!" Many of the photographs on display at this Photographic Museum, were printed from glass negatives and were taken by the acclaimed: 'Mr.T.D. Ravenscroft' However, photography arrived much earlier in Hermanus, mainly thanks to the work of Mr. Ravenscroft, who caught the first clear images of many Towns, Villages and Farms in South Africa. He visited Hermanus and eventually retired there! His photographic studio was located next to his House on the present site of; the Post Office and the Service Station in the Main Road. Ravenscroft was born in 1852 in Malmesbury and seemed to have known from an early age that he wished to be a professional photographer. At the age of 17 he apprenticed himself to the best photographer in Cape Town, William Moore, and rapidly became proficient. He married Elizabeth Viljoen, and she accompanied him as he travelled by cart all over what would become South Africa, in search of subjects. Eleven of their fourteen children were born under their travelling cart. He was well-known for his Views of Landscapes and Towns, but he also brought his skills to bear on Portraiture and earned most of his income in his early years from being commissioned to photograph; portraits. In the 1890's he returned to live in Cape Town and photographed many:'of the Political and Social elite!' One of these was the camera-shy, Cecil John Rhodes, who was so impressed by Ravenscroft that he helped to get him appointed permanently as the official photographer of the Cape Colony. After 1910, Ravenscroft secured access to virtually every site in the Country; as the official photographer to South African Railways. In 1919 he retired to Hermanus, which he was to photograph many times over the next 30 Years. Some of His photographs date back as far as 1875, and include: 'Fashion, Architecture and Lifestyle', of the folk of times past. 

The people have passed away and many of the Buildings have been destroyed, but: "The photos have immortalised them as precious memories". Ravenscroft continued working all his life, but religious belief came to play an equally significant part in his activities. He preached every Sunday to a congregation in Hawston, and there was a sign on the door of his studio that made it clear that he would photograph ladies, but only if they were conservatively dressed. The relevant notice read: "The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment: For all that do so are an abomination unto the LORD thy GOD." Ravenscroft died in 1948 at the age of 97, leaving a large number of glass negatives which are now in possession of this Photographic Museum. There are also trophies, mammoth shark jaws, and furniture on display, in the Museum. Each item adds a unique splash of flavour and character! This gives visitors a peep into the wonders and History of the Region.

The Herb Garden in front of the Museum Cottage is a delight to explore, even for those not particularly inclined towards the outdoors. The Museum has been renovated and maintained by several interest groups over the Years. From about 1880 professional and private photographs of Hermanus and its inhabitants began to accumulate in various places. However, it was not until October 1983 that Prozesky initiated discussions between the Trustees of the Old Harbour Museum (formed in 1970) and the Dutch Reformed Church in Hermanus. The focus of the talks was a small cottage owned by the DRC and located on a site now adjacent to the Grobbelaar Hall.

Prozesky had decided that the structure could be utilised better as a photographic museum than for the Sunday School was held, there once a week. This cottage that was to be the Museum also has a history. It was built in the 1860s by J P de Wet, a member of the early families in Hermanus and who later farmed at  'Boontjieskraal'. The cottage was bought and sold a couple of times before it came into the possession of Dirk Cornelius Eksteen Wolhuter who used it as a temporary dwelling while building his permanent house alongside. When he no longer required it, he sold it to the Dutch Reformed Church which used it for Sunday school classes. The Old Harbour Museum had come into existence in 1970 and had acquired the site broadly known as 'Lemm's Corner' from a property company owned by Mr Christo Wiese.

Oscar Prozesky supervised the deconstruction of the Sunday School building down to the smallest detail, numbering and recording, (AS SEEN IN THE PHOTO)- every component and storing them in a way in which they would be most easily accessible for reconstruction at a later date. S J du Toit quotes the supervising Architects of the project as follows: "It is not often in this country that a whole building has been dismantled and moved to another site with the original materials replaced almost exactly. We should like to pay tribute to the dedication and skill with which Oscar Prozesky measured and marked out the stones and timber which enabled us to prepare plans; and also to the great enthusiasm and courage shown by curator Guy Clark and builder August Davids during construction". Working directly from Oscar's records, they resurrected the stored material and meticulously sought out the stones from the great pile lying next to the library to ensure their correct repositioning." The public of Hermanus became enthusiastic about the project to revive the 1860's cottage. A lengthy article in The Times of Hermanus of 19 October 1983 explained the work in detail and supported the request that all interested persons donate to the Hermanuspietersfontein Trust. "The response was positive!"- A large number of individuals, businesses, trusts and visitors did donate. More than 440 names appear on the list of donors. The sum raised (R93 746) equates roughly to R1,25 Million in today's money. Prozesky called the fundraising campaign "Operation Jericho". (This was a reference to the biblical story in which 'God simply told Joshua to have the people march silently around Jericho for six days, and then, after seven circuits on the seventh day, to shout. The walls would then collapse. 'Though it seemed foolish, Joshua followed God's instructions to the letter. When the people did finally shout, the massive walls collapsed instantly, and Israel won an easy victory.) Prozesky commented to the writer of the newspaper article: 'We will have to walk more than seven times around the cottage to make the walls fall down, but we heartily invite anyone interested to join us in the walk. "Prozesky left Hermanus quite soon after this and Guy Clarke, an earlier curator of the Old Harbour, returned to that position. Clarke (1943-2015) was responsible for recreating the cottage and preparing it for the exhibition of photographs. By 1987 the Museum was ready to stage a gala opening. Disclaimer Old Town and a Whale House was built in 1998."