The passing of Pageview

The passing of Pageview
Pageview (or as some knew it, Vrededorp) was an urban community with soul. It had its own inimitable inner life, a life that has been irretrievably lost. The vibrant life very much centred on the traders who both lived and did business there. Johannesburg's very own "Petticoat Lane" wasn't only a trader's heaven but a tourist attraction - it had glamour. But its vibrant life came to an end in 1977, one of the most desolate triumphs of the apartheid policy.  

The well-known architect Manfred Hermer's paintings which are presented in this remarkable book are his own tribute to Pageview.  The paintings capture the life of the area with a fidelity that is both architecturally precise an warmly human. Fittingly, the text which accompanies the paintings is based on his  interviews with a balanced selection of officials, traders and community leaders. To this he has added an introduction which provides a brief human and architectural history of Pageview. A postscript takes up the story of the resilient trader community which now does business in the Oriental Plaza.  

The book is comprised of an introduction, a number of interviews and newspaper articles and a postscript. The main feature is Hermer's superb and evocative paintings.

Pages:   58

Format:  Downloadable PDF (±58Mb, zipped)

The passing of Pageview
Tot in die laat 1970's was Pageview (of Vrededorpsoos sommige dit geken het) Johannesburg se eie "Petticoat Lane". Die lewendige gemeenskap waar handelaars nie alleen gewoon het nie maar ook handel gedryf het, was beide 'n kopers-paradys en 'n toeriste-aantrekking. Maar hierdie lewendige gemeenskap het in 1977 'n slagoffer van die regering se apartheidsbeleid geword. Op 27 Maart 1977 rapporteer die Sunday Times: "Yesterday, Pageview was dead".

Die bekende argitek Manfred Hermer se sketse wat in hierdie pragtige boek opgeneem is, is sy huldeblyk aan 'n vergange era. Hermer slaag nie net daarin om die argitektuur pragtig in beeld vas te lê nie, maar ook om die persoonlikheid en warmte vas te lê. Die teks is baseer op Hermer se onderhoude met 'n aantal amptenare, handelaars en ook gemeenskapsleiers. Die inleiding verskaf 'n kort oorsig van Pageview se  geskiedenis beide in terme van sy mense en sy argitektuur, terwyl 'n naskrif die verhaal van die handelaarsgemeenskap in die Oriental Plaza vertel. 

Behalwe Hermer se pragsketse wat sowat 'n derde van die boek beslaan, bevat die boek 'n inleiding, 'n aantal onderhoude en nuusberigte en die naskrif. 

Bladsye:   58

Formaat:  Aflaaibare PDF (±58Mb, ge-zip)