The Groot Constantia wine cellar will double up as a photographic art gallery until the end of December with about 150 prints from members of the Cape Town Photographic Society (CTPS) on display.
The society was founded in 1890 and is South Africa’s first amateur photographic club. The exhibition will give insight into how the club’s photography has changed over the course of its 132 years of existence.
A display board depicts the early days when men in bowler hats, suits and bow ties went on photographic outings with their huge cameras transported on ox wagons or horse-drawn carts, or met in the old town hall to project their photos on “magic lanterns”, which sometimes caught on fire.
The first committee comprised some of Cape Town society’s leading members, including the Queen’s Astronomer, Sir David Gill, as president.
The exhibition has been curated by club member Anna Engelhardt and was opened by fine art photographer Martin Osner on Thursday November 3.
About 150 prints from club members – including some professional photographers – are being exhibited, illustrating the wide variety of photographic styles and techniques they employ.
The society has about 150 members and is currently led by Jacoba van Zyl as president and Lesley Parolis as vice-president.
Over 132 years of existence, one thing has remained unchanged: socialising remains a central part of the society’s activities. The idea for the formation of the society was first mooted in a pub, The Thatched Tavern, on Greenmarket Square, and this exhibition is being held in the wine cellar of southern Africa’s first wine estate, Groot Constantia.
The exhibition will be open to the public throughout the festive season until Saturday December 31.