Interesting Jeppe History - Old Photograph - Jeppestown - View of Robinson Street from Marshall Street 1906

 

View of Robinson Street from Marshall Street - Friedenheim on the right.  Three men on horseback with a goat on the corner - How things have changed!

Source: Jeppe High School for Boys magazine 1996

Interesting Jeppe History - The pigeon, the post, the verb and the principle

PIGEONHOLES

A Hole for Pigeons

In medieval times pigeons were kept as domestic birds, not for racing but for their meat. Pigeon holes were the openings set in a wall or a purpose-built pigeon cote in which the birds nested. 

Medieval rock cut pigeonholes, France

Post

By 1789, the arrangement of compartments in writing cabinets and offices used to sort and file documents had come to be known as pigeon holes because of their resemblance to the pigeon cote. 

Why blog about pigeonholes?  The staffroom had a recent make-over and the vintage pigeonholes were not needed anymore. I am not sure how old these are but they were here when I stared at Jeppe almost 20 year's ago.  I have recycled them as storage for our office.

Old pigeonholes in the admin office

Verb

By the mid 19th century, pigeon hole was being used as a verb meaning either to put a matter to one side with the intention of coming back to it later, or to classify information, "pigeonhole it"

The Principle

'In mathematics, the pigeonhole principle states that if n items are put into m containers, with n>m, then at least one container must contain more than one item.

I learn something new everyday!

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pigeon-hole_messagebox

www.sciencephoto.com/media/414425/view/medieval-rock-cut-pigeon-house-france

https://www.pinterest.de/pin/469922542354282540/?amp_client_id=CLIENT_ID(_)&mweb_unauth_id={{default.session}}&amp_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pinterest.de%2Famp%2Fpin%2F469922542354282540%2F

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pigeonhole_principle

Interesting Jeppe History - Old Photograph - Iconic Photo - Jeppe Esq's House, Belgravia

 I just had to share this image again.  I absolutely love this photograph!  

"Friedenheim", Sir Julius Jeppe's home was constructed in 1895 in Robinson Street.  It was designed by the firm Carter & McIntosh and it was built by John Moffat.  It had an enormous veranda made out of wood as cast iron was not available at the time.

All that remains is the wall, gates, the stables and a stone staircase in the garden.  During the Second Boer War Lord Kitchener occupied the house and used it as his headquarters.  Lord Roberts also lived in the house.  They changed the name from Friedenheim to Belgravia.

It was bought by the Transvaal Education Department in 1916 then used as a hostel - Tsessebe House.

In the early 1960's it was demolished as it was deemed to be unsafe.

I created this page in 2015, Mr Robins is standing in the same spot as the gentleman in 1901

Source:

https://www.wikiwand.com/af/Friedenheim,_Belgravia

Found on the Folly - Old SAB Beer Bottle - 1944

Sport has been watched at Jeppe High School for Boys over the years.  Proof of some of the beverages consumed have been preserved under the playing fields and Collard's Folly.

This old South African Breweries amber beer bottle was found under the rugby stands on White Field.  Circa 1944 (Talana). 

South African Breweries beer bottle 1944

Property of the South African Breweries Ltd

Talana 1944

This bottle would've had a vulcanite screw in stopper.

I found a SAB vulcanite stopper on a previous occasion and made art with it😊

The flipper on the bottom left is a 1940's SAB vulcanite screw in stopper

Vulcanite (I know you're thinking "Star Trek"😁, but no.......)

Vulcanization is a chemical process in which the rubber is heated with sulphur, accelerator and activator at 140–160°C. The process involves the formation of cross-links between long rubber molecules so as to achieve improved elasticity, resilience, tensile strength, viscosity, hardness and weather resistance.

Example of SAB Beer bottles and a vulcanite screw-in stopper, 1940's

Sources:

https://www.bidorbuy.co.za/item/465730814/Vintage_South_African_Breweries_SAB_Beer_Bottles_One_with_Original_Stopper_Circa_1940s.html

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/materials-science/vulcanization#:~:text=Vulcanization%20is%20a%20chemical%20process,viscosity%2C%20hardness%20and%20weather%20resistance.

Interesting Jeppe History - Old Photograph - View of Jeppe High School for Boys from Roberts Avenue

 I discovered this old photograph.  I've not seen this one before.  Look at the low fence and the healthy oak trees.  I'm not sure of the year, might be 1940's-1950's.  I've asked if we could possibly order a copy for our archive.

https://www.lookandlearn.com/history-images/M613672/Johannesburg-Jeppe-High-School-seen-from-the-Playing-Fields

Interesting Jeppe History - Old Photograph - Jeppestown 1888

 

Source:  https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/86/Jeppestown%2C_Johannesburg_1888.jpg

Interesting Jeppe History - Impala House Cricket Team Photo 1934

 My favourite photo of a sports team

Impala House Cricket Team 1934

Source: JDAP