Fonds A1479 - Papers of John Gaspard Gubbins

Identity area

Reference code

ZA HPRA A1479

Title

Papers of John Gaspard Gubbins

Date(s)

  • 1877 - 1981 (Creation)

Level of description

Fonds

Extent and medium

321 items

Context area

Name of creator

(1877-1935)

Biographical history

John Gubbins was an Africana book collector, antiquarian and writer. He donated his Africana collection of old books, pictures and manuscripts to the University of the Witwatersrand. A disastrous fire in 1931 at the University's central block destroyed thousands of books, and a large part of Gubbins' Africana collection. Gubbins and his patrons, including the South African Institute of Race Relations, started on a new collection which eventually became the 'Gubbins Library' and which he donated to the William Cullen Library at the University of the Witwatersrand, and the Johannesburg's Africana Museum. The University conferred an honorary D.Litt. on him.

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Scope and content

Correspondence, personal documents, biographical notes, memoranda, photographs and a scrap-book relating primarily to the acquisition of his Africana library, its transfer to the University of the Witwatersrand and destruction by fire in 1931 and to his voyage round the world in 1932-1933 to try and make good his losses. Correspondence is mainly with H.R. Raikes, Principal of the University of the Witwatersrand, but other correspondents include Sir William Dalrymple, M.W. Gray, J.D. Rheinallt Jones, P.W. Laidler, J.H. Pim and General J.C. Smuts.

Also correspondence of Dr. P.H. Butterfield re., his biography of Dr. Gubbins.

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Uploaded finding aid

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Existence and location of originals

Some of the letters are photocopies of originals in the archives of the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg.

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