Today we joined the Jedi Knights Homeschoolers for a visit to Museum Africa formerly known as the Africana Museum, one of the most beautiful buildings where it lies right next door to the Market Theatre complex in Bree Street, Newtown, Johannesburg’s city centre’s western edge & is located opposite Mary Fitzgerald Square. This building was formerly the city’s fruit & vegetable market. It was originally built in 1913 and was then the largest building of its kind in the country with the railway which brought food into the city, running behind it. The story of many migrant miners as well as others connected with Johannesburg are told through the Museum’s collections.
The museum houses various long-term exhibitions which include “Cartoons in Context” and “Ghandi’s Johannesburg; The birthplace of Satayagraha”. There are also various objects, pictures & documents depicting the boundaries of South African cultural groups.
The museum also houses various other museums which include the “Geology Museum”, the “Bensusan Museum of Photography” as well as the “Workers’ Museum.
- The Bensusan Museum of Photography collects rare and valuable precision-made photographic equipment and pictures made using this equipment including wet-plate prints, stereoscopic views and digital images. This museum on it’s own can provide the serious photography fanatic hours of of fascinating viewing of photography equipment.
- The Geology Museum collection consists of over 17000 rock and mineral samples from Southern Africa including many type samples and samples from the Tsumeb area of Namibia, the Witwatersrand reefs and Okiep area. This museum too can provide hours of viewing & would make an awesome field trip for those studying the theme of geology.
- The Workers Museum tells the story of migrants who came to Johannesburg from across southern Africa, leaving behind their homes & families.
Personally I found there’s just way to much information here to do all the exhibits in one day. I would re-schedule a visit of certain areas at times when it fits in with the theme the kids are studying.
After our visit to the museum we also had an opportunity to tour the Market Theatre. We got to see the inside of the “Laager Theatre” as well as the “Main Theatre”. Since they were busy setting up in the “Barney Simon” theatre, we were only allowed a sneak peak though the entrance. The Market Theatre also houses the Market Theatre Laboratory for skills training. The Laboratory is a platform for young artists in this country, to meet, interact, engage and discuss issues affecting the arts industry and creative processes. The Lab hosts community theatre showcases nationally weekly. Groups in and around Gauteng can book showcases with the Lab office, while groups nationally can send a request to be visited by a fieldworker to showcase their new plays for the Lab.
A huge thank you to Danielle Johnson for arranging this great outing.
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