UCT Libraries

BC 600 IMMELMAN PAPERS  

Manuscripts & Archives

University of Cape Town Libraries

D75/109

1. Immelman Papers I consist of notes, etc., on Library Administration, Organization etc., which I made and added to over the years. I don't think they will be very useful to anyone else, but for what they are worth, I hereby donate them to U.C.T. Libraries.

2. The condition of this gift is that the Papers are not to be opened until after my death, except as set out in (3) below.

3. I reserve the right, however, should I ever need to refer to any papers in this carton, personally to have access to them.

4. I intend handing over other batches of personal papers and my own notes on professional, historical and Africana subjects, etc., from time to time as I no longer need them myself or can't any longer give them houseroom myself; that is, donating such material to U.C.T. Libraries to be known as and added to this group as Immelman Papers II, III, etc., as the case may be.

5. Alternatively I may decide to bequeath them to the U.C.T. Libraries to be handed over only after my death.

R.F.M. Immelman

Pinelands 8.1.1975.

 

IMMELMAN PAPERS II AND III

I am herewith bringing 2 further lots to be added to the collection of Immmelman Papers in the Manuscripts Department. They are respectively:

I,Immelman Papers II on the history of Cape Town, viz. a mss. copy of the chapters of my book Men of Good Hope (Cape Town, 1955), numbered by chapters and containing notes and references. There are 27 chapters preceded by a file containing outlines of chapters and followed by a file of appendices. There are also 2 files concerning individual subjects required for this history of the Cape Town Chamber of Commerce (1804 - 1954). One of these files contains a number of typescripts of early 19th century archival documents concerning the Commercial Exchange and the Chamber of Commerce. Chapters II and XI are missing, but if I find them I shall let you have them.

II. Immelman Papers III on the history of Johannesburg, including the history of the municipal departments and of the City Council of Johannesburg. This consists of notes, references and typescripts of a work I was engaged in on this subject. There are 28 numbered chapters, each in a separate file. Then there is a set of notes arranged in alphabetical sequence on various aspects of Johannesburg's history and of people involved therein. There is a separate batch of files numbered A - G, etc., these contain a good deal of biographical information.  In addition, there are summaries of published books on the history of Johannesburg. As in the previous instance, all Immelman Papers remain confidential until my death and may only be used on personal permission by myself. Should any such use be made, due acknowledgment must be made. I am not likely to refuse access to these papers to bona fide research students or workers, but I do reserve the right to their use during my lifetime.

R.F.M. Immelman

Pinelands 15.12.75.

 

IMMEMLMAN PAPERS IV

1. I am herewith handing over the 4th group of my Papers, viz., the material dealing with the biography and activities of J.W. Jagger.

2. Much of it is research material which I collected from Britain and South Africa, from printed sources, correspondence, notes of inter­views with a large number of people who knew Jagger personally or worked for him or collaborated with him on various public bodies, as well as his own publications, etc.

3. The material might need re-sorting and more detailed filing, as some of the files overlap.

4. There are several typescript copies of my draft biography of Jagger, one of which was corrected or amended by the late Dr W. Duncan Baxter, Jagger's son-in-law.      As I did not consider my draft comprehensive enough and I felt that there were some weak patches in it, which really required much further intensive research, for which at that period I just did not have the time, I never submitted the mss. to a publisher.

5. The same condition applies to these Papers as to previous lots, viz.: that the Papers are not to be opened or to be available to anyone until after my death, except as set out in (6) below.

6. I reserve the right, however, should I ever need to refer to any Papers in this Collection, personally to have access to them. Should any other research worker wish to peruse these Papers during my lifetime, I may personally give him permission to do so or not, as I think advisable under the circumstances at the time.

7. If anything I have written or notes I have made about Jagger should ever be consulted, the research worker in question must, should he aim at publication of his project, acknowledge having had access to the Immelman Papers.

8. It is my express wish that should any publication be based in any way in the future on this material, the writer should acknowledge the fact that the late Mr S.E. Horwood (father of Minister O.P.F. Horwood) assisted me greatly with material about Jagger and in helping me to understand Jagger as a man.

 

R.F.M. Immelman

Pinelands 30.3.76.

 

Dr. Rene Ferdinand Malan Immelman B.A., M.A. (Cape Town), B.L.S. B  (Columbia), F.S.A.L.A., was born in Somerset West 30 03.12.1905. He was educated in Somerset West and the University of Cape Town, where he obtained the B.A. degree in 1926, with honours in history, German and Nederlands-Afrikaans. In 1927 he trained in the Education Faculty and then took a post at the Sterkstroom High School where he taught for over two years. In 1930 he returned to U.C.T. to do a masters degree in German which he gained the same year.

In 1931 he joined the staff of the Library of Parliament and in UCT 1935 March 1935 he was appointed as sub-Librarian at the University of Cape Town. Formal training for Librarians was almost unknown in South Africa at that time, but Mr. Immelman was given special Columbia leave from August 1937 to November 1938. During this period he studied Librarianship at Columbia University, New York, and was awarded a Carnegie Visitors Grant. This enabled him to travel extensively in the U.S.A., Canada, Britain and Europe before returning to his post in the J.W. Jagger Library late in 1938.

In 1939 he established the School of Librarianship at U.C.T. and in 1940 he was appointed University Librarian and Director of the School of Librarianship. He retired from these posts in 1970.

When he became University Librarian, the J.W. Jagger Library was little more than a large College Library comprising about 110 000 volumes and a total of ten members of staff. When he left in 1970 he had built it into an internationally known research centre with over half a million books, many special collections, many rare books and a manuscripts department, which also housed part of the University Archives. He also established many branch libraries during this period.

One of his first tasks as University Librarian was to overhaul its management and methods and routines. He succeeded in establishing a structure based on sound principles which proved more than adequate to cope with the rapid growth and development which followed over the 31 years he remained as head of the institution.

During this period he was also very active, with his friend and colleague D.H. Varley, then Librarian of the South African Library, in the founding of the Cape Branch of the South African Library Association. Together they campaigned for free library services in the Cape Province and they established the Society for Book Distribution in 1939.

He was a member of the Cape Provincial Library Advisory Committee and the Cape Libraries Extension Association. In 1943 he was appointed to the Commission on Adult Education, and in the 1960s to the government sponsored Library Advisory Board.

Throughout his career he took an active part in all aspects of Library development and had a strong influence on it. His textbook, 'The foundation of Library management: organisation from the admin­istrative angle' (Cape Town, 1947) was used in Library Schools in South Africa and in the U.S.A. and Canada.

He wrote and published books and articles on many aspects of librarianship and historical subjects throughout his career.  A bibliography of his published works up to January 1970 appears in "Libraries and People essays offered to R.F.M. Immelman" (C. Struik, 1970), copies still available from U.C.T. Libraries. After his retirement he worked for some years on the editorial staff of the Standard Encyclopaedia of Southern Africa.

He served on many local and national commissions and committees and was invited to attend a great many international conferences and to serve on international library advisory boards. He was much respected by his colleagues in South Africa and abroad.

He was also active as an historian and was a foundation member of the S.A. National Society, the Genealogical Society of South Africa and the Cape Town Historical Society, by which body he was awarded honorary life membership. He was a member of the Suid-Afrikaanse Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns from 1946, Council of the Friends of the South African Library from 1953, Friends of the S.A. National Art Gallery, and of the Simonstown Historical Society, which he helped to organise.

In 1974 he was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Potchefstroom for his efforts in helping to establish the library at that institution. The U.C.T. recently accorded him the signal honour of naming a newly completed library building after him.

He married Ellen (Nellie) Bruce Richmond McGee on 6.1.1936 and had two daughters.

Etaine Eberhard

EE/dh

10 May 1982

 

BC 600            IMMELMAN PAPERS- V            14.4.1978

In Box 17

1. Ross, Hamilton, 1775-1853

(a) 2 General files, including notes from archival and other research. Also from blue books, undertaken by Group Captain 5 D Hamilton Ross.

(b) re 'Mount Nelson', Gardens

(c) re 'Sans Souci', Newlands

(d) Hamilton & John Ross.            5 files

2. Milnerton, Tygerberg, Ysterplaat, Blaauberg, Paardon Eiland            1 file

3. Wynberg Colllection (see separate list)            55 files

Accessible to bona fide scholars and researchers on condition that their source is acknowledged. NB Separate form for Wynberg Collection.

VI 17.2.1980

30 volumes of desk diaries, 1971-1978. (Closed until after Dr Immelman's death).

 

BC 600            IMMELMAN PAPERS V Boxes 15,16,17

1978

WYNBERG This material was collected by Dr R.F.M. Immelman and any research worker wishing to use any of the items for publication, should acknowledge that it is from the "Wynberg Collection formed by R.F.M. Immelman."

The Wynberg material is divided into the following categories:­

Anglo-Indians in Wynberg (see also Wynberg - 1800-1860) - contains references to published works.

Art exhibitions and artists - newspaper clippings and notes.

Buildings - newspaper clippings, notes, photos.

Cardew, Martha - photographs, notes.

Clubs and Societies - Freemason clearance certificate, Wynberg 1929

Chelsea area - Notes, photographs, newspaper clippings, incl. Duncan Taylor shop, St Johns Church, Carr Hill.

Commerce and industry - Notes, newspaper clippings.

Constantia area incl. Groot Constantia, Plumstead, Constantia wine - Newspaper clippings, postcards, copies of sketches by Mrs A. Trotter.

Dutch Reformed Church and Carr Hill - Newspaper clippings, notes, postcard, photographs.

Festival, 1956 and others - Newspaper clippings.

Flora, Indigenous - Notes.

General notes.

German Lutheran Church - Notes.

Goncharov, I.A. (visitor to Wynberg) - Notes, photograph.

Hawthornden Cultural History Museum (J.B. Robinson and Labia). Newspaper clippings.

History - 17th and 18th centuries - Notes.

History - 1800-1860 (see also Anglo-Indians) - Notes.

History - 1860-1880 - Notes, newspaper clippings, transfer deed, 1862. History - 1880-1900 - Notes, newspaper clippings, photographs. Hospitals - Notes, photographs of Victoria Cottage Hospital.

Hotels - Photographs of Cogills Hotel.

Inhabitants and leading citizens - Coats of arms of Henry Dumbleton,

Furney and Swain, John Fairbairn, Robert and Sir John J. Graham; newspaper clippings, notes. (Box 15)

Magistrates and police - Notes, photographs.

Map - Longland's street plan of Cape Town suburbs. Mowbray to Wynberg, 1904.

Maynardville incl. Maynard, Farmer and Bernard families - Notes, news­ paper clippings, reminiscences.

Military Camp - Notes, newspaper clippings, photographs. Military History Museum - Notes, newspaper clippings. Missions - Notes.

Monterey - Newspaper clipping.

Municipality - Notes, coat of arms, map.

Omnibuses and taxis - Notes, newspaper clipping.

Park - Newspaper clippings, postcards, article in The Cape, Dec. 1907.

Philip, Rev. Dr John - Notes made by W.G. Mears before 1929 fire destroyed Gubbins Collection.

Photographs by Charles Field and others - street scenes in Wynberg.

Pictures and photographs - Notes and references.

Population - Notes.

Presbyterian and Methodist Churches - Notes, postcards.

Racial groups - Newspaper clippings.

Railway Station, trains - Notes, newspaper clippings, postcard, railway time table.

References to books and articles about Wynberg.

Safety, Place of - Tenterden, Durban Road - Newspaper clipping.

Schools - Wynberg Girls and Boys - Notes, newspaper clippings, photographs, articles.

Springfield Convent - Articles, newspaper clippings.

Streets, squares and town planning - Newspaper clippings, notes. Temperance Alliance and cafes - Newspaper clipping.

Town Hall - Postcard. Trovato - Notes.

Village - Newspaper clippings, notes.

Visitors - Notes, newspaper clipping - Sir Pierre von Ryneveld, Sir

Quentin Brand, Duke of Wellington.

Waterloo Green, St John's Church, Glebe Cottage - Photographs, notes, newspaper clippings.

Wetton Family - Photographs, newspaper clipping.

Withinshaw Correspondence - Letters written to Arthur Withinshaw. 30.1.1920 - 2.5.1920 (30 letters).

Wynberg Hill and silver trees - Photographs.

From village to municipality: a history of Wynberg to 1903, UCT BA Hons thesis, 1975, by Z.D. Linnegar.

Wynberg Times, 17.7.1886; Peninsula Herald, 28.6.1902.

   

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