The Krugersdorp Heritage Association (KHA) will present the Dr Baldocchi Photographic Exhibition at St Ursula’s School in Krugersdorp North from September 5.

Co-founder of the KHA, Jaco Mattheyse, explained that some photographs are windows into another time, preserving faces, streets, buildings and everyday moments that might otherwise have disappeared from collective memory.

The exhibition officially opens on Saturday, September 5, during the school’s Courtyard Market, and will remain on display until December.

Mattheyse said the collection associated with Dr Baldocchi provides a fascinating glimpse into an earlier Krugersdorp as the Witwatersrand grew around it.

“Through these remarkable photographs, we can see not only the architecture and streetscapes of the past, but also the people who lived, worked and built their lives here,” he said.

“For the KHA, preserving and sharing this history is about far more than looking backwards. It is about understanding where we come from,” he added.

Preserving local history for future generations

Old photographs have a special ability to bring history closer, Mattheyse explained, noting that while a written description can describe a street from a century ago, a photograph allows people to look into the faces of the past.

The Dr Baldocchi collection offers precisely this kind of connection.

“The images capture a Krugersdorp that many present-day residents would scarcely recognise. Buildings have disappeared, streets have changed, businesses have come and gone, and generations of residents have passed into history. Yet the photographs remain. They allow us to compare the town of yesterday with the town we know today – and perhaps to recognise familiar buildings, locations or even family connections along the way,” he said.

Connecting the community with its roots

The exhibition is one of the first major projects of the KHA, an organisation dedicated to preserving, documenting and promoting the history and heritage of Krugersdorp and the surrounding area. Mattheyse said local history belongs to everyone.

“Whether you have lived in Krugersdorp for generations or have only recently made the town your home, its history forms part of the story of the community we share today. The exhibition is therefore intended not simply as a display of old photographs, but as an invitation to engage with the past,” he said.

Visitors are encouraged to look carefully at the images, discuss what they see, share memories and perhaps even recognise a familiar name or face, as there may be stories hidden in these photographs that have yet to be told.

“We invite the community to come and experience the exhibition, to rediscover the town through the eyes of those who came before us, and to help keep Krugersdorp’s remarkable heritage alive for generations to come,” he concluded.