History lives on at the Museum for Printing and Community Press
The pass that journalists were required to carry whenever they visited a township, as well as photographs of rioting and unrest during the state of emergency during 1997, will be showcased as part of the OH Frewin Museum for the Printing and Community Press – but now also the state of emergency following Covid-19 hitting the world.
“The impact made by the Coronavirus, and how the media handles it, must be saved for the descendants. This is a first where mistakes are made by the media, but also where brilliant journalistic ideas are published,” says Tobie van den Bergh, Director of the Forum for Community Journalists, who are involved in the establishment of the museum.
“After 45 years of being a journalist, I have never realised the importance of the media, and the role they play to inform and educate so intensely, as is the case right now,” he said.
“During the state of emergency of 1997, there were visible “enemies” of a ruling party and the comrades of the “struggle” set up against each other. Now you have to inform readers and attempt to educate them about something that they cannot see, while at the same time fake news boggles their minds…”
Newspapers can send copies or pictures of their front pages where the Coronavirus is featured, to him at tobie@mobserver.co.za.
The museum would officially have been opened on 16 April 2020, but this has been postponed to later during the year.
Mr Dries Venter, of OH Frewin Printers and Publishers in Middelburg, said the display of historic printing presses, darkroom, cameras and photographs, is almost ready. It will take about a month to open the museum for visitors, once the lockdown has been lifted.
“There will be a special space created to showcase the impact of the Coronavirus and how the media handled it,” he said.
More information:
A WORLD FIRST!!!
The establishment of a museum for the Community Press.
The FCJ (Forum for Community Journalists) decided to become involved in a very exciting project.
Inquiries across the world revealed that there are museums for media printers, but not for the Community Press.
Dr. Anton Rupert suggested in 1982 that the historic Frewin building in Middelburg should be used as a museum.
Oscar Henry Frewin – commonly referred to as OH Frewin – who – according to Professor Johan de Jager’s thesis – is seen as the Father of the Community Press, worked in this building.
However, his grandson, John, sold the building to Pick ‘n Pay and it was demolished. The dream of a museum landed among the shattered brickwork…
However, OH Frewin Printers still exists in Middelburg to this day.
The present senior director, Dries Venter, has created an area, which was used as a paper store, to be converted into a museum.
Because newspapers were “born” from printers, it will exist from examples and machines in the printing industry, with various old printing machines, or presses, that had been used in earlier years.
The museum will be known as the OH Frewin Museum for the Printing and Community Press.
Donations have already been made of a light table, and Julie van Rensburg, who worked in the photographic darkroom for some years, has donated all her equipment – an enlarger, timer, trays, safelights, film-loader, developing tanks, as well as her Pentax camera (still in working condition) she used for taking photographs at the time.
More equipment is still required, for example, a waxing machine, fixer, developer, photographic paper, or anything that members might think can be added to this museum.
The history of the FCJ and Community newspapers will be exhibited on blocked boards, and there is display space for old photos.
*Members who have any suggestions, or can make any contributions, are asked to contact Hugo Redelinghuys 082 440 6331 or Tobie van den Bergh 072 220 1568.
