Remember what your town looked like 100 years ago? I do :P

[AntiThesis]

Being MyBroadband's oldest member (check my profile, it's true), I remember what all your towns looked like. Well, if you come from Joburg, East london, Durban or Cape Town anyway.

I've made a habit of collecting old photos of various places while I've been wandering around the internet. I'm slowly building up my collection and they're all backed up across various sites so that they don't get lost anywhere.

Check it out: http://www.newsboy.co.za/history/

There's stuff for Joburg, Cape Town, East London and Durban - unfortunately still very much unorganised but I'll get there one day

If anyone knows of any other places I can get my hands on some of the old stuff, please let me know. I'll upload the rest of my collection in time

[marine1]

Awesome

[MickeyD]

From the MyPE site (Alan Straton) featuring some of the BoB Binnell collection.

http://mype.co.za/new/gallery/pe-pho...s/bob-binnell/



and: http://mype.co.za/new/gallery/images...ort-elizabeth/

[SinghDude]

Verulam is known to be the worlds only town where the main street ends up in a river


Wicks street....


The town has vastly changed over time...

Durban's famed beach front is not the same either.


History does offer comparison and showcases the massive influence of technology on society.

Amazing to see the before and after pics

[chrisc4290]

Thank you. These pictures are really good and most interesting. Thanks for putting them together

[AntiThesis]

From the MyPE site (Alan Straton) featuring some of the BoB Binnell collection.

http://mype.co.za/new/gallery/pe-pho...s/bob-binnell/



and: http://mype.co.za/new/gallery/images...ort-elizabeth/

Thanks for those I don't have them yet.

[Dom1n8tr1x]

I'm originally from Durban but have been living in Oudtshoorn for the past 17 years. I recently acquired a scan of a photo of the opening of one of the churches Oudtshoorn in 1879, the original photo was badly damaged but I have restored the image digitally.

I will gladly upload it for you to my DB account if you wish to add it to your collection. The photo shows the church with people and horse wagons gathered around it.

[AntiThesis]

Oh, very cool. Yes please. I'll gladly add it.

My aim really is to nevr lose any of the stuff that tends to go missing.

[Dom1n8tr1x]

Great I'll probably upload it for your sometime tomorrow. I was fortunate enough to be able to look at photos at the local Museum that's usually not available to the general public. I saw this photo and was able to acquire a digital scan of it.

This photo is probably the only one in existence that were taken on the opening day. It's really sad to see that historic items like this are not being properly preserved for future generations.

[nightjar]

I only have two towns in my childhood and both of them were virgin bush as recently as 100 years ago.

The first was Luanshya where I was born but I actually grew up in a tiny little farming community in Northern Rhodesia on the border with Nyasaland. It was a bit rural with no electricity, leopards quick to take an unwary dog off one's varandah and aggressive elephants trashing the villagers' mielie patches nearby. An old DC3 came in once a week if the landing strip was dry enough. LM Radio could be heard only after dark.

With hindsight, it was a heavenly existence but those days are long gone and there is no point in regrets.

[AntiThesis]

Got any photos?

Actually, my mom grew up in Northern Rhodesia - around 1954ish. Somewhere around Kitwe (though not in the town itself). I must see what she's got.

Incidentally, have you checked out http://www.ex-luanshya.com/ ?

[AntiThesis]

Updated with the PE pictures as well as some for Bloemfontein and Pretoria.

Also, some of the amusingly named "Transvaal Dutch Republic of South Africa"

If there's any particular place you'd like me to get hold of, please let me know and I'll be happy to stick it up (if I've got it).

[biometrics]

I can send you old Melkbosstrand photos. Where to?

[Dom1n8tr1x]

Here are those photos I promised.



The Original Photo



The Image after I restored it

[AntiThesis]

robexternal[at]gmail.com if you would be so kind. Thanks!