Johannesburg. One Hundred Years

(Johannesburg: Chris van Rensburg Publications, 1986) 0868460362. 4to; original brown boards, lettered in gilt on spine and upper board; pictorial dustwrapper; pictorial endpapers; pp. xii + 332, incl. index; profusely illustrated with photographs and facsimiles, in colour and monochrome, including many period illustrations. Dustwrapper somewhat edgeworn; gift inscription to front pastedown; some foxing to edges. Good to very good condition. "Johannesburg, the only City in the world to be built on gold, turns one hundred in 1986. This book commemorates that event and records, in words and pictures, the rich pageant of personalities and events, reverses and triumphs, which to go to make up the story of 'the Golden City', Africa's fastest growing metropolis. ... it took the team rather more than two years to produce this magnificent volume. At the outset it was decided that the pictures would be the most comprehensive collection ever published on Johannesburg. The search took the editors through several archives and collections, both public and private. This book tells the story of the discovery of the world's richest gold reef along the bleak ridge known as the Witwatersrand, of the City that mushroomed overnight on the bare veld, and the pioneers, each of whom wove his own thread into the warp and weft that grew into the robust fabric that is the City of Johannesburg today. ... What a saga it turned out to be! It took 120 000 words by many experts over 344 pages printed in five colours to tell. There are also 555 photographs, many never published before. The value of the book is enhanced by a comprehensive index and a select bibliography." .