The location is in spectacular landscape and the staff are charming and helpful. Christiane voith is the current centre manager of rorkes drift art and craft centre. The artists who emerged from rorkes drift arts and craft centre. National museum of cultural history, on two pieces in the collection, one by. The elc art and craft centre has its origins in the midst of the apartheid era of. The rorkes drift art and craft centre is examined in its historical. A truly compelling read, packed with numerous footnotes and sources, appealing to both the casual reader and the serious historian. Rorkes drift pottery found immediate appeal when it went on exhibition. Zulu dress african history, african culture, african art, black history books, art. The rorkes drift art and craft centre south african history online.
The evangelical lutheran church art and craft centre at rorkes drift, natal, was started in 1962 by peder and ulla gowenius. The remarkable exhibition impressions of rorkes drift is an excellent way to tap into and explore this history of struggle and creation. Illustrated with previously unpublished artwork, rorke s drifta new perspective is a gripping account, which questions what is commonly believed to be the true interpretation of the hospital fighting. The bernstein collection of rorkes drift ceramics at the university of. Regiment are left to guard the centre columns supply depot at rorkes drift. The centre also ensured that it developed with the changing society.
Surgeon james henry reynolds and storekeeper byrne tending to the wounded corporal scammell reynolds kneeling. The rorkes drift art and craft centre aimed to create employment for many women and men in the area, and worked towards selfsufficiency and raising standards of living, while developing skills. The battle of rorkes drift the anglozulu war book 2 kindle edition. Rorkes drift is more than a famous battlefield its a unique and successful venture in crossculture art and craft production. Rorkes drift is also the location of the battlefield of the battle of rorkes drift 1879, a historical site in the anglozulu war where british troops defeated a large zulu army. Phillipa hobbss book on rorkes drift, miles book on polly. Elc art and craft centre rorkes drift, south africa is a well known centre for artistic ceramics, textiles and carpets, rugs, tapestries in kwazulu natal, south.
Many also used a club called an iwisa or knockberrie. Rorkes drift defence vs zulus uk history, british history, military guns, military. This arose out of a committee formed in 1961 in stockholm, sweden, for the advancement of african art and craft. Rorkes drift art and craft centre is a center for arts and crafts, including fine art, printmaking, pottery and weaving, located in kwazulunatal, south africa. Elc art and craft centre rorkes drift south africa. More striking still has been the rediscovery in recent years of rorke s drift men like john fielding or john jobbins by local councils, in commemorations intended to demonstrate that, in the words of one councillor, its not just about the first and second world wars. The evangelical lutheran church art and craft centre at rorkes drift, natal, was established in 1962 and had a significant impact on the. A remarkable legacy the rorke s drift art and craft centre spawned some of the greatest artists in our country and, in one of the strange quirks of history, was also the result of swedish missionaries arriving in the country.
Thembinkosi goniwe emphasises the significance of rorkes drift. It was located near a drift, or ford, on the buffalo mzinyathi river, which at the time formed the border between the british colony of natal and the zulu kingdom. The rorkes drift art and craft centre south african. Rorkes drift art and craft centre notes edit lieutenants john chard and gonville bromhead centre commanding, behind them padre george smith hands out ammunition, private frederick hitch right, standing handing out ammunition while wounded. Of the several accommodation options in the area i would definitely. Rorkes drift ceramics in the collection of the durban art gallery. As usual, james mace turns true history into a series of stories that make both. All warriors carried an oval shield made of oxhide. The battle of rorkes drift is established in history as one of britains most incredible. This hardcover book should hold appeal to anyone from casual readers to. The evangelical lutheran church art and craft centre at rorkes drift, natal, was established in 1962 and had a significant impact on the development of south african art and craft in the 1960s and 1970s.
One of their primary weapon was a light spear called an iklwa or assegai, that could either be thrown or used in handtohand combat. In hobbs and rankins book, rorkes drift empowering prints 2003, the. The host, paul, takes his guests on tours to isandlwana and rorkes drift and talana, if requested and brings the extraordinary history of the area to life in his uniquely inimitable style. As a result of this initiative, peder and ulla gowenius were sent to south africa to work at the ceza mission hospital, zululand. Rorkes drift, known as kwajimu jims land in the zulu language, was a mission station and the former trading post of james rorke, an irish merchant. Elc art and craft centre rorke s drift, south africa is a well known centre for artistic ceramics, textiles and carpets, rugs, tapestries in kwazulu natal, south africa. The elc art and craft centre, or simply rorkes drift as it is best known, works under the umbrella of the lutheran church of south africa elcsa and is registered as a pbo public benefit organisation, pbo 930025276 and npo non profit organisation 076446npo. Taken from the book potters of southern africa by g. An account of the battles of isandhlwana and rorke s drift zululand 22nd january 1879. The history of the establishment and growth of the pottery workshop were.
The battle of rorkes drift was given a chapter in military historian victor davis hansons book carnage and culture 2002, as it is one of several landmark battles demonstrating the superior effectiveness of western military practices. An historical overview of rorkes drift site and elc art and craft centre. The nearby battlefield is a major draw for tourists. Traditional pot forms were transformed into novel vesseled figures, even. This influence continues in the 1980s, through the graduated students who have filtered into many areas of south african cultural life. Goniwe says rorkes drift was a haven for black artists, not only with. Today, rorkes drift is the centre of a cottage industry of history books, documentaries, novels, models and video games.
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