Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1960 (Creation)
Level of description
Fonds
Extent and medium
2 bound books
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
The Right Reverend Bishop of the Anglican Church was born in the United Kingdom. He served as the Bishop of Johannesburg from 1949-1961, when he became active and outspoken in the struggle against Apartheid. He was deported by the South African Government, not long after the Sharpeville massacre on the 21 March 1960, and resigned as Bishop of Johannesburg in 1961.
Archival history
One of the two books contains the stamp of 'The Gubbins Library' and the sticker of the Vanguard Booksellers in Johannesburg, from which it was probably purchased by John Gubbins and donated to the University as part of his library.
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
The two books were part of the holdings of the William Cullen Library, from which they were deaccessioned and transferred to the holdings of the Historical Papers Research Archive in 2021. They now form part of the library and archive of the Anglican Church in Southern Africa at Historical Papers.
Content and structure area
Scope and content
The book was written by Ambrose Reeves during his time as Bishop of the Diocese of Johannesburg, with the assistance of Mary Benson and Christian Action, with reference to Jack Halpern. It contains a Foreword by Chief Luthuli.
The book was banned on the 24 February 1961, and included in the "Jacobsens" Index of Objectionable Literature under its titles "Bloedbad in Sharpeville" and "Shooting at Sharpeville. It was unbanned on the 9 January 1987, Government Gazette entry 10578, according to a note on the back cover of one of the books.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Conditions governing reproduction
The copyright for the book is held by Ambrose Reeves, 1960. The publisher Victor Gollancz Ltd., London is not the copyright holders, which has been confirmed by the publisher in 2021.
Language of material
Script of material
Language and script notes
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
The photographs section in the copy from "The Gubbins Library" was found to be removed, i.e. is missing, whereas the second copy contains the photographs section, entitled "Evidence from the photographs", printed on gloss paper.
Finding aids
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
Publication note
Shooting at Sharpeville: The agony of South Africa, by Ambrose Reeves, published by Victor Gollancz Ltd., London, 1960.
Notes area
Note
The digital item which is displayed here, can be downloaded in PDF format. It combines the missing pages of the one book with the other, so that a comprehensive item can be accessed for research, i.e. the photographic section, the page with the stamp of 'The Gubbins Library' and the page with the notice that the booked was banned. Also, for a better visual look of the PDF, the title page also appears as the first page of the PDF.
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Description control area
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Dates of creation revision deletion
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Sources
Archivist's note
Historical Papers has approached the Special Collections at the Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford, which holds the archive of the Bishop Ambrose Reeves Trust, received through the archive of the Anti-Apartheid Movement, in order to obtain a contact to the Reeves family. To date no contact could be established.