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Rare Africana art collection tour at the NCOP – Waiting list only

August 12 @ 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
R400

Hidden within the National Council of Provinces, Dr Robin Kirsten, a manager of the Parliament’s Artworks Office, gives us a few examples of the Mendelssohn bequest for us to view. The collection includes rare Africana works, including depictions of the Cape by European explorer-artists. Among them is François Le Vaillant’s (1753–1824) watercolour Crossing the Sunday’s River, created during his journeys into the interior.

Due to ongoing major building works within the Parliamentary precinct, the general tour will be limited primarily to the National Council of Provinces and selected heritage spaces. Dr Kirsten will lead the Mendelssohn Collection tour in the Mendelssohn Room, followed by a viewing of the historic display cabinets and a heritage overview in Queen’s Hall.

Event details

  • Date: Wednesday, 12 August
  • Time: 10am – 12pm
  • Price: R400

How to book

  • Please email kate@cultureconnectsa.com | WhatsApp +27 (0)72 377 8014
  • Kate will send payment options.
  • Booking requirement: valid South African ID. If unavailable, provide passport number and country of origin. Please bring this with you (no certified copies, driver’s licenses etc).
  • Please inform Kate of any food allergies at least one week in advance.

Historical timeline

1854: The first Cape Parliament convenes, establishing parliamentary governance in the Cape Colony

1885: Completion of the permanent Houses of Parliament building, designed by Charles Freeman

1890: Cecil John Rhodes becomes Prime Minister of the Cape Colony

1895: Rhodes resigns following the failed Jameson Raid

1899–1902: Parliamentary debates address the South African War

1914–1918: Parliament debates South Africa’s role in World War I

1939–1945: World War II debates take place under Prime Minister Jan Smuts

1948: The National Party comes to power, instituting apartheid legislation

1960: British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan delivers the “Winds of Change” speech in Parliament

1966: Prime Minister Dr Hendrik Verwoerd is assassinated inside the House of Assembly

1994: Nelson Mandela becomes President following South Africa’s first democratic elections

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