Retrospect upon the year 1864 II

Retrospect upon the year 1864 II

Publications & Reports

Bleek summarises the parliamentary session controversially held in Grahamstown and how it impaired the functioning of government for several months. Increased taxation and customs duties will worst affect traffic in the Eastern Districts, weakening Port Elizabeth to Natal's advantage. He dwells on the impact of increased duties on trade and customs-related legislation passed in 1864 and the state of relations between local legislators and merchants. He then comments on promotions, appointments, and vacancies within the colonial government before remarking on Cape Town's changing skyline -- arrived at through Fairbairn of Old Mutual and Watermeyer's deaths. He mentions several "objects of interest" to entice port visitors, whether ordinary or as illustrious as Prince Frederick, before commenting on notable publications of the last year. He digresses to ecclesiastical affairs, praising Bishop Colenso and JJ Kotzé as champions of religious liberty when referring to their contentious writing. Bishop Gray's writing also uniquely tackles complex socio-political questions.

Printed newsprint glued on paper

05/01/1865

Two cut out columns of newsprint text, positioned vertically parallel, pasted onto a plus-sized A4 unlined sheet with visible warping. "Retrospect upon the year 1864 II" is subsequently handwritten onto the mount/paper backing as the title.

An original cutting of a Victorian article (no printed thematic title included in the cut out) by WHI Bleek. Published in Het Volksblad on Thursday, January 5th, 1865. A word with unclear lettering written in pencil (possibly "verte" ["green" in French or a Chinese porcelain decorative style]). "Mr Rawson" refers to Rawson William Rawson and "Mr Southey" refers to Richard Southey. Notably, Bleek doesn't appreciate the uneven, limewashed walls of Cape Dutch vernacular architecture (which, stylistically, he describes as "slip-slop"). Of Cape Town's landmarks, Bleek only considers Rutherfoord Fountain, Grey's Library, and the statue of Sir George Grey to be worthwhile sites. The Mutual Assurance Company/Mutual Life Assurance Society (a precursor to presentday Old Mutual) was founded by John Fairbairn in 1864. Bleek seems to self-deprecates over his Hottentot Fables, which he discribed as being "of minor interest". Bleek remarks that Thomas Baines' Book of Travels (Explorations in South-West Africa?) is among the most important publications of 1864.