I went off on a little adventure today - a spontaneous wander up to the Folly. Sometimes the best discoveries happen when you’re not really looking for them.
Since Victorian times, municipal refuse was dumped along the sloping eastern edge of the “B” rugby field. By 1950, the area had been covered with grass. It was, however, too small for proper games use and soon earned the nickname “Collard’s Folly.”
Every now and then - especially after a heavy Highveld downpour - the earth shifts and Jeppe quietly reveals fragments of its Victorian past. And as they say, one person’s rubbish is another person’s treasure.
Today, I found treasure.
Half-hidden in the soil were two circular glass discs, framed in metal, complete with tiny hinges. My first thought? Some kind of antique locket. But a closer look revealed that the glass was flat. Out came my trusty companion, Google Lens - and mystery solved.
They were lenses from a Victorian pair of spectacles, dating back to around the 1880s.
Here’s where the story becomes even more intriguing. Gandhi lived in Johannesburg for twelve formative years, and one of his homes stands just a stone’s throw from the school. The thought alone is enough to set the imagination racing.
Snippet below is from The Heritage Portal
Can you imagine if this very pair had once belonged to him? We’d all be rich, I tell you!
In fact, a pair of Gandhi’s glasses sold at East Bristol Auctions in August 2020 for a staggering $415,000. Not bad for something that helps you see clearly.
Granted, my Folly find needs a little restoration - and perhaps a generous dose of imagination - but what a remarkable reminder that history lies just beneath our feet.
Sometimes, all it takes is a bit of rain… and a curious eye.
Sources:
Jeppe High School for Boys Magazine (1943-1962)
https://www.theheritageportal.co.za/article/gandhis-house-sale-sold-2009
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windsor_glasses#/media/File:Lunettes_de_Gandhi-National_Gandhi_Museum_(2).jpg
https://www.antiquesandthearts.com/gandhis-glasses-bring-eye-popping-price/
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