LAST MEETING - JOHANNESBURG - OCTOBER 16TH 1986.
This meeting was a joint meeting with the South African National Museum of Military History. Colonel Duxbury introduced the speaker, Mr. Clayton Holliday, who is director of the King George VI Art Museum in Port Elizabeth.
He commenced by tracing military art back to the military friezes in Greece, Turkey, Egypt, Mesopotamia and France. In his opinion art was taken into the political and social sphere by Picasso"s "Guernica". Consideration was given to Victorian war art, a prime example being Lady Elizabeth Butler"s "Defence of Rorke"s Drift".
In South Africa Frans Oerder was commissioned to depict aspects of the Boer War by President Kruger. He was a prolific cartoonist. The work of Thomas Baines covered many of the colonial conflicts in Southern Africa.
The First World War saw photographs begin to supplant sketches and paintings. It was however recognised that a painting can give far more than just detail in its creation of atmosphere. Field Marshal Smuts started the War Art Programme in 1939, Neville Lewis being the first appointee. Geoffrey Long parachuted into Italy in 1941, and lived behind the lines for a while, thus obtaining unique material for later paintings. Other prominent WWII artists were Francois Krige, Ben Burrage, Philip Bawcombe, Terence McCaw and Gordon Taylor.
Admiral Biermann started the current War Art Programme after seeing an exhibition of Herbert McWilliam"s work in Port Elizabeth. Alexis Preller also completed early work on the current conflict period. Len Lindeque, Victor Metcalfe, Paul Geraghty and Vernon Swart all have works on display at the current exhibition. Perhaps the last named's airbrush technique is the most startling modern development.
The lecture was lavishly illustrated by beautiful slides which were only surpassed by the art works themselves, on display in the Museum Gallery. Christopher Till, a member of the Military Art Advisory Board, proposed the vote of thanks for this superb lecture.
Future Meetings.
Johannesburg - November- 13th Professor C. J. Barnard "The Five Swimmers - The Escape of Willie Steyn and Four-Fellow P.O.W.s from Ceylon, 1901 ".
The venue for the Johannesburg meetings is the J.C. Lemmer Auditorium, S.A. National Museum of Military History, Saxonwold, Johannesbur-g at 20h00.
Durban
- November - 13th Commandant Justin Hulme - "The History of the Commando System".
Cape Town
- November - 13th Mr. C. D. Dorn - "Austerlitz".
Other Matters.
Visit to the Air Force Museum at Lanseria.
As advised in the previous newsletter arrangements have been made with Col. P. M. J. McGregor for members of the Military History Society to visit the Air Force Museum at Lanseria Airport from 14h00 to 16h00 on Sunday, 16th November 1986. Details of the outing are as follows (Refer to attached map):
11h25 Arrive at farm "Egan's Kia" (Point B), where there will be a couple of talks on iterns of local interest.
12h30 Picnic lunch.
13h25 Move off back to the R512 and proceed northwards for about 8 km to Lanseria Airport car park and toilets in the Airport building (Point C).
14h00 Assemble on foot for move to the Museum.
16h00 Departure for home.
Shaka Zulu.
SB Bourquin has kindly provided the following observations on the current television series:
SHAKA ZULU
The purpose of these comments is merely to draw attention to some historical and cultural misrepresentations contained in the current TV series-
First and Second Episodes: Shaka had no intention nor the ability to attack and invade British Cape Colony, whose northern border in 1823/24 was the Great Fish River. (Between Zululand and the Cape lay Natal and the territories of the unconquered Mpondo, Thembu and Xhosa.) Presumably Shaka did not even have information about the British at the Cape at that time.
- Lt Farewell was not sent to Port Natal as an 'agent' of the Colonial office, but set out on his trading venture entirely on his own responsibility and initiative.
- King George IV was 61 years old and had been regent and ruler for 12 years. History has recorded him as having had "Ia shapely figure, fine taste in dress, and manners of most courtly polish", but also states that his private and domestic life "was such that no wife could live happily with him". He does not appear to have been as fatuous as the film makes him out.
- Lord Charles Somerset was not a frustrated old man of 70 as presented by actor Trevor Howard, who actually is of that age. Somerset was a keen and active horseman, 56 years old, a serving general in the British army, and governor of the Cape. - Henry Francis Fynn was not a medical doctor. He was 21 years old, a trader and explorer, who as a youth had gained a smattering of medical knowledge as a surgeon's attendant. - Lt Farewell was not married when he came to South Africa, nor did he bring a wife from England. On 17.8.1822 he had already married a Cape Town girl.
- The party of settlers of 1824 did not suffer a shipwreck, but landed at Port Natal in two vessels, Fynn with a small advance party came two months ahead of Farewell and the main party.
- 'van der Vegte' is a fictitious character.
- When Farewell, Fynn and some companions visited Shaka to seek permission for a permanent settlement at Port Hatal, they had with them two horses, animals which were virtually unknown to the Zulus. Shaka never rode one.
Third and Fourth Episodes: Nandi was Senzangakhona' s third wife and had had her affair with him only some six years after his first marriage.
- These two series are based on legends, oral traditions, and Zulu superstitious beliefs. There is no recorded history for this period allowing thus scope for flights of fancy and dramatic licence. Zulu customs are well portrayed, but there are occasional slips in behaviour, e.g. Zulu men and women never kissed.
- Some of the costumes are quite foreign to traditional Zulu patterns, which for centuries have followed certain specific trends.
'SB.'
STEWART STILES.
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