Miscellaneous historical papers.

SOPHIATOWN, Interviews, papers, cassettes.

Interviews with people associated with Sophiatown during the 1950s. The interviews were conducted by Pippa Stein and the Junction Avenue Theatre Company (who put on a performance Sophiatown in 1987). Interviewees include: Jane Dakile, Phillip Stein, Antony Sampson, Kortbooi, Bishop Trevor Huddleston, Ezekiel Mphahlele and Arthur Maimane.

The collection contains a letterbook, 30 September 1796 - 22 May 1797, entitled 'Homeward letters', containing copies of 25 letters (128 pages) from Craig to Colonel R. Brooke (Governor of St. Helena), J. Duncan (Governor of Bombay), Rt. Hon. H. Dundas (Secretary of State for War) and the Governor and Supreme Council, Bombay. Subjects are the shortage of money, corn and gunpoweder at the Cape, the transport of troops between India and the Cape, the use of slaves and raising of the Hottentot Corps and the state of the Napoleonic War.

Papers of the Leather Workers' Union.

Examples of passes and permits for work and residence purposes, issued between 1905-1983 to people classified as Natives. (folio items).

These records were collected by the Urban Removals and Homelessness Group of the Black Sash and by the Community Research and Information Network, Wilgespruit Fellowship Centre. They include case files, papers, articles, reports, correspondence, notes, court records, press cuttings and maps relating to homelessness, squatting, land matters and urbanisation in the PWV area from 1986-1992.

Included are a draft of his last work Memoirs of Priscilla, Countess Whopper, published in 1932, and transcripts of several of his short stories, plays and sketches, with parts of the original Mss; several English play-bills, bills, programmes, tickets etc. for plays and sketches produced by Cohen in London. Also a volume of clippings from The Winning Post, London, 12 April -15 November 1913, in which Reminiscences of Johannesburg first appeared, and a bound volume of The Winning Post edited by R.S.Sievier 7 August 1907 - 8 August 1908 (plus some odd numbers); 9 editions of Tit-Bits, London, containing his memoir The magic and madness of diamonds and gold. Scrap-books include a volume of press clippings, Gems from Johannesburg history, 1912, a volume of clippings on the death of Barney Barnato, June 1897, and an album of clippings concerning the charge of perjury brought by Sir Joseph Robinson against Cohen in 1914. The correspondence includes a letter to S.B.Joel dated 1899, a reply from Joels attorneys threatening prosecution for libel and Cohens reply. Names of other correspondents include Sir A.Conan Doyle, Sir David Harris, John Hay, S.H.van Diggelen; letters from Cohen to J.G.Gubbins who purchased the collection. Also photographs of Cohen, 6 postcard photographs of Benoni in the early days, legal documents, press notices of Cohens works and other miscellaneous papers.