Album launches a search for mystery family

MANY years ago, when he was a child living in Ladysmith, Daan Prinsloo rescued an old photograph album that had been tossed into a dustbin.

It contained a collection of fine photos seemingly from the late 1890s and early 1900s, mostly of the Port Shepstone area. There were also some that had been taken in Durban, Port Elizabeth, Cape Town and Las Palmas, as well as some family photos of people playing tennis, riding horses and riding bikes.

Daan, who now lives in Pretoria, still has the album in his possession. He has recently scanned the photographs and has decided to resume his search for the family of the original owner. For this reason, he has asked the South Coast Herald and its readers to assist him. Anyone who is able to identify people in the photographs, who appear to be from an affluent family, is asked to contact him.

“The inscriptions ‘Edith, April 1904’ and ‘Susaima, Gwanda, August 1908’ appear on two of the photographs. Another is marked ‘Gwelo’. The photographer seems to have been in mining and construction, moving around in Southern Africa and abroad and travelling on Union Castle liners. He, or she, appears to have been a very competent photographer with a fine eye for detail and composition, and excellent equipment for that time. Almost a local Ansel Adams,” said Daan.

He added that it was a sad irony that life’s cherished memories could ultimately end up in a dustbin. He would love to return the album to the owner’s descendants, rather than having it dumped in another dustbin after the clean-up following his departure one day. Perhaps a museum would be interested in it, he said. If you can help Daan, contact him at 083 4630752.