When Margo Beard was researching for a book on feminist art, she came across a photograph of English botanical painter, Marianne North, taken on a visit to Grahamstown.
When Margo Beard was researching for a book on feminist art, she came across a photograph of English botanical painter, Marianne North, taken on a visit to Grahamstown.
Intrigued, she discovered that North spent her life travelling the world – always on her own – capturing, in perfect detail, as many species of plants and flowers as she could through her painting.
In fact, there is a permanent exhibition of her artworks at Kew Gardens in London, the director of which, Sir Joseph Hooker, was a friend of hers.
Margot eventually found the journal of her trip to the Eastern Cape – which included Port Elizabeth, Grahamstown, Port Elizabeth and King Williamstown – in the British Library and, from it and other sources, created the talk she's giving to the Friends of the Library next week, entitled '"She travels alone and unattended":
The 1882-3 visit to the Eastern Cape of the botanical artist, Marianne North'. Margot will be speaking at 5.30pm, Emfundweni Training Room (behind the Centre for Social Development, Prince Alfred Street on Rhodes Campus) on Monday 12 October.
All are welcome and entry is by donation in aid of the Friends of the Grahamstown Public Libraries – Hill Street, Duna, Fingo Village, Community, Alicedale, Riebeek East, Extension 9 and the Mobile Library.
We look forward to seeing you there.
PLEASE NOTE THE CHANGE OF VENUE.
How to find the Emfundweni Training Room – located behind the CSD (Centre for Social Development)
Turn left off Somerset Street into Prince Alfred Street.
On the University campus, the CSD is the 4th building on the right between the ISER (Institute for Social and Economic Research) and the Philosophy Department.
Parking is available either on Prince Alfred Street or in a parking lot which can be accessed via a road between the Anthropology Department and ISER.
