UCT Libraries

BC 246 THE H. G. FOURCADE BEQUEST  

Manuscripts & Archives

University of Cape Town Libraries

bequeathed to

The University of Cape Town Libraries

by

the late H.G.Fourcade

A List

by

Margaret Curran

1985

CONTENTS

 

INTRODUCTION

 

Biographical note

The Collection

A.

PERSONAL PAPERS

B.

CORRESPONDENCE

C.

SURVEY MATTERS, including Forestry

D.

BOTANICAL MATTERS

E.

OTHER INTERESTS

F.

PUBLICATIONS

G.

PHOTOGRAPHS

 

INTRODUCTION

Biographical note

Henry Georges Fourcade was born in France on 8 July 1865 and was educated there until the age of 15, when he came in 1880 to the Cape. While he was employed by the Forestry Department of the Colony of the Cape of Good Hope he passed an examination on the theory of Land Surveying and showed his first interest in Botany, while in charge of the Forest Herbarium. After seven months he was transferred to Knysna as an Assistant Forest officer then was appointed District Forest Officer in 1886 at the age of 21.

In 1889 he was seconded to Natal to investigate the possibility of starting a Department of Forestry in the province. In 1890, back in Knysna, he began demarcation survey work, although not a registered surveyor. His work was of such a high standard that his observations were incorporated into Sir David Gill's retriangulation of the Cape Colony in 1901 and the designs of his beacons were adopted as a standard.

He remained in the Knysna district as District Forest Officer, being appointed Forest Surveyor in 1902. Although he was the obvious choice for the vacant post of Surveyor‑General in 1904 because of his experience and qualifications, he was not appointed but instead offered early retirement on full pension. He was 40 years old.

He retired to Witte Els Bosch, where he did private survey work and established a very profitable sawmill. This also began the period of his researches and inventions viz. photogrammetry, i.e. Surveying with the aid of a camera and aerial surveying. He produced the Theory of Relative Orientation and built a model of his stereogoniometer, financed by the British War Ministry. He received no international recognition but his principle was widely used.

In 1930 he was awarded an Hon.. D. Sc. by the University of the Cape of Good Hope. In 1940 he produced his stereoprojector, a simpler design for air survey and in 1947 he was awarded an Hon. D. Sc. from UNISA through Rhodes University College for distinguished service to South Africa in the advancement of Science.

Besides his other work, he was also a keen amateur botanist with an extensive herbarium. From 1905 he collected in a huge area which included George, Knysna, Humansdorp and Uniondale, for which region he published a checklist of flowering plants in 1941. He worked at and corresponded with herbaria all over the world, including the Bolus Herbarium in Cape Town, the Albany Museum in Grahamstown and Kew in England and eventually has sixteen botanical species named after him.

During his long life he wrote articles and letters to the Press on a wide range of subjects, besides survey and botany. These included economics, the Poor White Problem etc. and although his eyesight and health deteriorated in his later years, his output remained impressive.

He died in 1948 aged 83 at Humansdorp, Cape near his home Witte Els Bosch.

The Collection

Dr Fourcade was meticulous and exacting, and this is very evident in his papers. He filed all incoming correspondence and made longhand copies of the many letters he wrote so that we have a satisfyingly complete picture of his life and work.

The bulk of the papers in the Bequest concern survey matters ‑ his field notebooks, survey assignments and survey instrument designs, which include the stereogoniometer and stereoprojector. Botanical subjects are next in importance and include H.G.F.'s collecting notebooks, which are still used by botanists,and extensive correspondence with herbaria and botantists all over Southern Africa and the world.

There are copies of survey and botanical publications by H.G.F. and other authors; articles and letters to the Press and photographs of himself, colleagues and friends as well as survey and botanical instruments and specimens.

See also P.A. Venter's thesis "Henry George Fourcade" 1979.

BC 246

FOURCADE BEQUEST

A

PERSONAL PAPERS

A1

Includes certificates, letters of appointment, honorary degrees, invitations, membership of societies etc. 1869‑1947.

A2

Diary of a trip to Europe 1924‑25.

A3

Biographical notes.

A4

Friends and acquaintances remembered.

A5

Dates ‑ historical and personal. 1884‑1937.

B

CORRESPONDENCE ‑ personal and general

 

(For correspondence connected with survey, botanical and forestry matters, see relevant sections)

B1

Bert, Emile ‑ Paris patents office 1927‑40. Mainly in French.

B2

MacOwen, Prof P ‑ Cape Town and Grahamstown. 1885‑1906.

B3

McKay, Mrs H M ‑ re William John Burchell history. 1936.

B4

Malan, C W (afterwards Minister of Railways) ‑ re South African currency, the Gold Standard etc. 1920‑23.

B5

Marx, Pat ‑ Humansdorp and Boetsap. 1918‑25.

B6

Metelerkamp, Sannie ‑ re George Rex Story. 1936‑37.

B7

Rogers, A W ‑ Geologist. 1902‑1937.

B8

Watkins and Heyns ‑ attorneys, Humansdorp. Also correspondence with Malan & Louw, attorneys, and others in Humansdorp – re legal affairs and land transactions. 1914‑42.

B9

Additional personal and general correspondence ‑ single or only a few letters ‑ arranged alphabetically A‑Z, by author.

C

SURVEY MATTERS ‑ includes FORESTRY

 

SURVEY CORRESPONDENCE & LETTER BOOKS 1883‑1943

C1

Barnard vs Pietersen case 1908

C2

Geodesy and Geophysics, International Union of.  1927‑34.

C3

Gill, Sir David ‑ H.M. Astronomer, Cape of Good Hope. 1892‑1906.

C4

Hotine Captain, M ‑ 1926‑31.

C5

Hutchins, D E ‑ 1883‑1908.

C6

Legat, C E ‑ Forestry Dept. Pretoria. 1917‑1919.

C7

McNaughton, G J ‑ Forestry Dept. Knysna. 1898‑1909.

C8

Survey circulars. 1908‑30.

C9

Survey Commission 1921.

C10

Surveyor ‑ general's office ‑ 1897‑1935.

C11

Surveyor's Institute 1904.

C12

Timber Investigations & Tests ‑ articles by H G F, graphs etc 1920.

C13

Twamley and Whittingdale ‑ Trigonometrical Survey Office, Mowbray and Pretoria. 1936‑43.

C14a

General correspondence 1891‑1930. A‑Z by author.

C14b

General correspondence ‑ Conservator of Forests, Knysna 1905‑1934.

C15

Letterbook 1892‑96

C16

Letterbook 1896‑1901

C17

Letterbook 1902‑1905

C18

Memo and correspondence record book 1938‑42.

 

SURVEY NOTEBOOKS 1886‑1924

C19‑24

Survey fieldwork 1886‑90 Knysna West, Millwood.

C25

Survey fieldwork 1890 Carnarvon, Hanover.

C26

Survey fieldwork 1890 Oliphants Hoek, George.

C27‑C29

Scientific notes, Abstract of Angles etc. 1886‑1891.

C30‑C43

Survey fieldwork 1890‑1900 George, Knysna, Humansdorp.

C44‑C45

Survey fieldwork 1890‑1900 Tokai, Strandfontein, Devils Peak.

C46‑C50

Survey fieldwork 1901‑1904 Hout Bay, Devils Peak, Strandfontein, Blaaukrantz N., Storms River.

C51‑C54

Survey fieldwork 1905‑1911 Knysna, Humansdorp, Kruisfontein.

C55

Survey fieldwork 1922‑24 Knysna region. (Botanical notes at back 1937).

C56

Departmental forms.

C57

Foresters' Table for the Measurement of Wood.

C58‑C61

Notebooks on Agriculture 1881‑96 (2 vols.); Mechanics and Physics 1890's (1 vol.): Survey (very little).

C62

Survey Examination Papers: Written by H.G.F. 1882. Set by H.G.F. 1907‑12, plus correspondence.

 

SURVEY INSTRUMENT DESIGNS

C63

MS on Survey Instruments by H.G.F.

C64

Stereoscopic Measuring Machine TS by H.G.F.

C65

Mr Fourcade on Subtense ‑ TS article.

 

STEREOPROJECTOR

C66‑C82

Descriptions of drawings, Dimensions of parts, Data for assembling, Adjustment, picture etc.

C83

Correspondence re stereoprojector. (A‑Z by author)1935‑41.

 

RECTIFYING CAMERA

C84‑C94

Descriptions, designs, transformations, lenses etc.

 

STERIOGONIOMETER

C95‑C101

Description of parts, Adjustments of Steriogoniometer and Camera (Hotine), Principal Point, Mathematical theory (in French), picture etc.

 

AERIAL SURVEY

C102

'A Projection Method of Mapping from Air Photographs' by H.G.F. 2 copies of his MS.

C103a

Notes and correspondence re C102.

C103b

A New Method of Aerial Surveying.H.G.F.

C104

Patent Specification ‑ H.G.F. Construction of maps from aerial photographs. 1926‑37 plus diagrams.

C105

Aerial photographs and maps ‑ Tsitsikamma coast.

C106

Aerial Camera ‑ diagrams.

C107‑C108

G T McCaw and M N MacLeod ‑ Rectification of Aerial Photographs. G T McCaw ‑  The Plate Constants.

 

SURVEY ASSIGNMENTS IN VARIOUS AREAS

 

CAPE PENINSULA

C109

Devils Peak 1893.

C110‑112

Tokai.

C113

Hout Bay and Silvermine Forest 1901.

C114

Silvermine and Noordhoek.

C115

False Bay ‑ Strandfontein.

C116

East End Plantation.

C117

Uitvlugt

C118‑C119

Normal co‑ordinates ‑ Cape Peninsula.

 

SOUTH WESTERN and CENTRAL CAPE

C120

Map

C121

Swellendam district ‑ 'Camp' Survey 1900‑02.

C122

Danger Point (Caledon district) 1894‑95.

C123

Hanover

C124

Carnarvon

 

TSITSIKAMMA REGION

C125

Mossel Bay to Cape Seal and inland.

C126

East of Storms River.

C127

Bailey's Triangulation.

C128‑C132

George East ‑ Traverses; Latitudes and Longitudes; sides, angles and areas; East section; West section.

C133

George ‑ Knysna divisions ‑ secondary triangulation of Forest Surveys.

C134

Biervlei and Woodville.

C135‑C136

'Moerasfontein' ‑ district George. Correspondence 1907‑09. Original Deed of Transfer dd. 14 May 1881. Survey calculations.

C137

Knysna history ‑ Melkhoutkraal granted to George Rex 30 Nov. 1810. MS notes by H.G.F.

C138

Knysna village ‑ including Lots 16‑22. Correspondence 1906‑10.

C139

Hunter's Home. 1907.

C140

Knysna West

C141

Knysna commonage ‑ 'Kruisfontein' farm. Correspondence, diagrams, calculations 1906.

C142

Woodlands (Read) 1907.

C143

Knysna River survey (Mossop) 1907. Correspondence, maps etc.

C144

Lot 1 Extension ‑ near Afgunst 1908.

C145

Knysna and George West. Heights.

C146

Farleigh Resurvey.

C147

Forest Reserves ‑ Knysna division. General plan; Memo on Secondary triangulation of Knysna Forest Surveys by H.G.F.; Blaaukrantz; East and West Salt River; Honigbosch etc.

C148

'Springfield' exchange ‑ Knysna division. (Metelerkamp and Stroebel). Correspondence, diagrams, maps, calculations. 1893‑97.

C149

Kaffirkop ‑ Traverses, Plan of the Forest Reserve 1897.

C150

Elandskraal. Correspondence 1910.  Calculations.

C151

Gouna and Klein Gouna ‑ survey.

C152

Hoogekraal ‑ traverses.

C153

Roodemuur ‑ correspondence 1909.

C154

Groenkops ‑ traverse plots.

C155

Woodville ‑ traverse plots.

C156

Klein River 1907.

C157

Sarel and Katjie's Kraal.

C158

Matthysbosch ‑ correspondence 1899.

C159

Leeuwenbosch 1907‑09.

C160

Stofpad 1907.

C161

Olifantshoek ‑ old survey.

C162

Kraaibosch and Sour Flats (van der Watt).

C163

Millwood

C164

Olijvenhout Kraal ‑ resurvey.

C165

Eastford ‑ map.

C166

Westford ‑ map.

C167

Coast from Blaaukrantz to Storms River.

C168

Main Forest South.

C169

Elandskraal ‑ plan

C170

Graticules ‑ Midland conservancy. Computation of Latitudes and Longitudes ‑ Victor Lowinge 1901.

C171

Plettenberg Bay ‑ church erf near Formosa village. Correspondence 1906‑07. Diagrams.

C172

Humansdorp area ‑ Slyklandsberg and Groot Riviers Poort. 1907.

C173

'Tussen Bij' ‑ Humansdorp division. Correspondence 1907‑11. Maps, calculations.

C174

Traverses. Map ‑ Humansdorp division.

C175‑C177

Farms plans ‑ Humansdorp district. Komdomo, Komdo Ruggens, Bank Kop. 1872‑92.

C178

Sundry calculations ‑ Tsitsikamma area.

C179

Alexandria district ‑ Klipfontein' farm. Correspondence 1932. Plan.

C180‑C183

Uitenhage district ‑ farm plans. Contomiete, Goede Hoop, Komdo, Onverwacht. 1818‑1847.

MS ARTICLES ON SURVEY SUBJECTS by H.G.F.

 

C184

Beacon building and survey camp equipment.

C185

Transformation of Co‑ordinates.

C186

Memorandum re Cost of Secondary Triangulation 1903.

C187

Latitudes, Longitudes and Azimuths.

C188

Periodic Error of Circle.

C189

The Measurement of Heights and Distances.

C190

Simple rules for Adjustment of Circuit Conditions.

C191

Correction for curvature.

C192

Moon Stereoscopy.

C193

Distortion of Films and Errors of r6seau.

C194

Sundry notes incl. Catenary Formulae.

C195

Survey Regulations 1866‑1931. TSS

D

BOTANICAL MATTERS

 

CORRESPONDENCE ON BOTANICAL SUBJECTS

D1

Albany Museum, Grahamstown. 1920‑41.  S. Schonland, Olga Hilner, R.A. Dyer, G.V. Britten.

D2

Bews, J W ‑ Natal University College, Pietermaritzburg. 1921‑22.

D3

Bolus Herbarium ‑ University of Cape Town. 1920‑1947. Louisa Bolus, N S Pillans, L Guthrie, Elsie Esterhuyzen, M Walgate.

D4

Botanical Society of South Africa 1938‑40. Also minutes, annual reports, constitution.

D5

Duthie, Miss A V ‑ Belvidere (Knysna) and Stellenbosch University. 1921‑44.

D6(a) and  (b)

Haworthia. Letterbook and correspondence re Haworthia species. 1940‑43. See also Haworthia correspondence in folders for Bolus Herbarium (D4); Port Elizaebth ‑ St. Georges Park ( J R Long)(D15) Stellenbosch (D17) See also Haworthia plant lists (D31)

D7

Kew ‑ Royal Botanic Gardens. 1921‑47. Arthur W Hill, J Hutchinson, R A Dyer, N E Brown.

D8

Kirstenbosch ‑ Prof R H Compton. 1922‑46.

D9

Levyns, Dr M R ‑ Botany Department, University of Cape Town. 1932‑44.

D10

Lund ‑ Botaniska Museet. 1933‑36. Henning Weimarck, Tycho Norlindh.

D11

Marloth, Dr Rudolph. 1893‑1931.

D12

Moss, Dr C E and Mrs M ‑ Witwatersrand University 1930‑33.

D13

National Herbarium, Pretoria. 1921‑44. R A Dyer, E Percy Phillips, T B Pole‑Evans, S M Stent, I C Verdoorn.

D14

Phillips, John ‑ Deepwalls Forest Research Station, Knysna. 1923‑32.

D15

Port Elizabeth ‑ St Georges Park. 1933‑42. (T R Long).

D16

South African Museum, Cape Town. 1931‑38. S Garabedian, G J Lewis.

D17

Stellenbosch University ‑ Botany Department. 1938‑40. Dr Erika Markotter, H Herre.

D18

Sundry botanical correspondence A‑Z. 1922‑53 includes Jan Gillet, Louise Guthrie (previously Bolus Herbarium) J Keet, F S Laughton, I M Salter, Transvaal Museum (T.M. Lanham) etc.

D19(a) and (b)

Correspondence re the printing and distribution of H.G.F.'s "Check‑list of the Flowering Plants of the George, Knysna, Humansdorp and Uniondale Areas". 1939‑41.

D20

Correspondence re H.G.F.'s paper on 'The Incidence of Rain on the Distribution of Rainfall on the Surface of Unlevel Ground'. 1942.

 

MS ARTICLES and PAPERS on Botanical Subjects

D21

Paper on the Knysna Forest Region ‑ mainly botanical information re flora, effects of overgrazing and veldburning etc.

D22

Notes on Burchell's Catalogus Geographicus plus correspondence 1944‑45.

D23

Sundry notes including Chronology of botanical works; Geneva Herbaria; Travels of Thumberg and Paterson; botanical sketches etc.

 

NOTEBOOKS

D24‑D28

Collecting notebooks 1911‑12, 1927; notebook re Burchell's Catalogus Geographicus; sketchbook of specimens in Kew Herbarium 1925.

 

PLANT LISTS

D29

Checklists of the Flowering Plants of the divisions of George, Knysna, Humansdorp and Uniondale in the Cape Province,‑ H.G.F

D29A-D29B

Additional plant lists H.G.F - received from Bolus Herbarium 16/1/85

D30

Mesembrianthemums ‑ H.G.F.

D31

Haworthias. H.G.F. and others, including E.E.A. Archibald, Dr K Von Poelnitz, G J Payne, Long etc. List of Haworthia photographs.

D32

Albany Museum and H.G.F. ‑ botanical survey 1920‑22. Also list of corrections.

D33

Bolus Herbarium ‑ lists of specimens forwarded by H.G.F. 1921‑32.

D34

Drege's Plants ‑ collected in the divisions of George, Knysna Humansdorp and Uniondale.

D35

Kew Herbarium ‑ specimens sent by H.G.F. Kew Determinations 1921‑35.

D36

Esterhuysen, Elsie 1941.

D37

Hutchinson, J. 1928.

D38

Newdigate, Miss 1893.

D39

Duthie, Miss A.V.

D40

Compton

D41

Rehman

D42

Krauss

D43

Keet, J.D. Collecting lists 1917‑1921.

D44

Schleckter, R. ‑ lst and 2nd series.

D45

Kirstenbosch seedlists ‑ 1935 to 1938.

D46

National Herbarium plant lists.

D47

Schonland, S ‑ Provisional list of Flowering Plants found in the divisions of George, Knysna, Humansdorp and Uniondale. H.G.F.'s checklist 15.12.(19)19.

D48

Thunberg ‑ Plants in F1. Capensis. First and Second journeys 1772 and 1774.

D49‑D57

List of sundry collectors. Also lists of Burchell, Mrs T V Paterson, Galpin, Miss L Britten, J Hutchinson, Phillips, Specimens in S.A. Museum, F.O. Herb.

D58

Name changes and Verifications Nov‑Dec 1931. Index.

D59

Plates in the Botanical Magazine ca.1922.

E

OTHER INTERESTS

E1

Mining. Correspondence from Marshall. 1891/92

E2

Royal Society of South Africa. 1910‑45.

E3

Archaeology. Article by H.G.F. and correspondence with L Peringuey and W H L Duckworth. 1901‑11.

E4

South African Philosophical Society. Memo H.G.F. Correspondence P Macowen 1892‑94.

E5

Economics. Currency Bill, Gold price etc. Correspondence 1920‑22. Articles H.G.F.

 

ARTICLES and LETTERS TO THE PRESS

E6

List of inventions and their authors. H.G.F.

E7

A Proposal concerning the financial bases of the Terms of Peace. H.G.F. ca 1917.

E8

A Short Way to Sea Power  H.G.F.

E9

The Sugar Industry in Natal and Zululand.

E10

The Poor White Question.    H.G.F.

E11

Names. Spelling of Geographical Names. Huguenot names Articles, press clippings, correspondence 1938‑43.

E12

Stock exchange shares, investments.

E13

Poetry. H.G.F. and translations.

F

PUBLICATIONS

 

SURVEY

F1

H.G.F. 1892‑1940.

F2

Other authors 1886‑1939 A‑Z. including: L Cazes 1895, Irvine Gardner 1939, Capt. M Hotine, A Laussedat 1905, Dr C Pulfrich 1894‑1906, Gordon Tissandier 1886, etc.

 

BOTANICAL

F3(a)

H.G.F. 1941. includes: Checklist of the Flowering Plants of the divisions of George, Knysna, Humansdorp and Uniondale; some notes on the effects of the Incidence of Rain on the distribution of Rainfall over the surface of unlevel ground.

(b)

Other authors including: The Rev. Jakob Gerstner 1937; J.F.V. Phillips ‑ 'History of the Midland Forests 1778‑1909'; G G Smith 1942‑45.

F4

Sundry publications.

G

PHOTOGRAPHS

G1

H.G.F.

G2

Family and friends.

G3

Survey:

(a)

Instruments, camps etc.

(b)

Aerial survey, survey beacons, maps

G4

Botanical subjects. Rain guages.

G5

Miscellaneous. A sawmill (?), buildings, scenes etc.

H

CLIPPINGS

(a)

Book of "Nature" clippings 1893, 1897.

(b)

Miscellaneous.

 

See also: Microfilm index of Fiourcade survey material by Mr C Martin.

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