All photographs displayed here of The Genadendal Mission Museum, some of its internal displays, Genadendal buildings, and the surrounding area were taken by me, the author/photographer, during my visit on 30 Dec 2013. Genadendal is included as a part of my continuing project to both record and make available images of little-known museums I’ve had the opportunity to visit. Additional information was gleamed from several websites linked below.
Genadendal History
The Genadendal Mission Museum
Be transported back in time and get a glimpse of what life was like hundreds of years ago. The museum is located on the site of the original mission station and consists of various buildings that were used since the mission was established. The buildings were declared a National Monument in 1980 and contain exhibits telling the story of Genadendal.
The word “Khoisan” is the collective name given to describe two separate indigenous groups of the South Western regions of Africa, namely the Khoi (aka Khoe) who were herders and the San who were hunter-gatherers. The Khoikhoi (aka Khoekhoe) were scattered throughout the region into various tribes, each led by a traditional chief.
The Genadendal Mission Station was initially established on 23 April 1738 when Georg Schmidt, a Moravian Church missionary, together with a small group of Khoikhoi, set up the first mission station at what was then called Baviaanskloof (Valley of Baboons).
The pilgrims traveled to Makkah from all corners of the Islamic world transported by land and sea. Those traveling overland were by caravans, the main routes being via Damascus, Jabal Shammar, Najd, Jeddah, and Cario. The first and fifth of these routes are the most important. Note: An external link to dawnsnewday.org.
The oldest artifacts kept at the museum are from Kashafrud, Darband, and Shiwatoo, which date back to the Lower Paleolithic period. Mousterian stone tools made by Neanderthals are also on display, Upper Paleolithic tools from Yafteh (about 30,000 to 35,000 years) and much more.
Named in 1867, the area grew after the freeing of the enslaved in 1833. Made up of former slaves, artisans, merchants and immigrants, to include Malay people brought to South Africa by the Dutch East India Company, it was home to almost a 10th of the city's population.
The gallery, located in Accra, Ghana, was established by Ghanaian artist Ablade Glover. Expanding three floors, it exhibits the work of many respected Ghanian artists. The gallery provides art lovers with authentic contemporary art as well as traditional African art of quality craftsmanship.
The Orientalist Paintings collection of the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia is among the world’s largest. As a pioneer institution of the Islamic world, the museum seeks to reclaim a heritage that reveals much about the Islamic past with insight into people and culture of a bygone era.
My visit, from October 14 to October 26, 2025, was mainly for consultancy purposes. I had the chance to visit several museums, including the Wits Art Museum, Museum of Illusions, Apartheid Museum, Origins Centre Museum, and the Johannesburg Art Gallery, from which several images are displayed. It also includes several pictures taken at Mandela Square.
Featured are photographs of works of art, exhibitions, and other noted artwork of personal interest to the photographer; and housed within a variety of institutions at various locations around the world.
HIGHLIGHTED
Included are images of buildings, facades, architectural renderings, moulding, and other craftwork threatened or no longer exist due to the destructive nature of both rural and urban renewal.
Hirshhorn Museum, Sculpture Garden Independence Ave. SW &, 7th St. SW, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
