C.J. Skead Photograph Collection
Item set
- Title
- C.J. Skead Photograph Collection
- Creator
- Skead, C. J. (Cuthbert John)
- Description
-
The Jack (Cuthbert John) Skead Collection comprises a substantial body of photographic material that documents the natural environments, vegetation types, and ecological habitats of the Eastern Cape and the wider southern African region. The photographs—taken over several decades—capture landscapes, plant communities, wetlands, forests, grasslands, and other habitat formations that were central to Skead’s extensive research interests. Many images also document environmental change, land use patterns, and field sites associated with his ornithological and botanical studies.
The collection provides a valuable visual record for researchers working in the fields of environmental history, ecology, biogeography, conservation, and Eastern Cape natural heritage. The photographs complement Skead’s published and unpublished work held at Cory Library, including field notes, correspondence, and research manuscripts. - Language
- English
- Provenance
- Materials received from the Skead Family.
- Type
- Collection
- Genre
- Photographs
- Subject
- South Africa--Addo Elephant National Park
- Addo Elephant National Park (South Africa)
- Natual history -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Vegetation -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Habitats -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Ecology -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Landscape photography -- South Africa
- Photograph collections
- Environmental change -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Biogeography -- South Africa
- Eastern Cape (South Africa) -- Photographs
- Albany District (South Africa) -- Photographs
- Skead, C. J. (Cuthbert John), 1912–2006
Items
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Caption: "Horseshoe Valley. East London." -
Caption: "Red Hill near Alice with the masses of Aloe ferox in flower. July 1961." -
Caption: "Buphane in flower. Left: The 'shaving-bush', a head breaking from the stealth. Right: The 'powder-puff', one in full flower. The crinkles dead leaves lies in front of the shaving-bush. Dec. 1959." -
Caption: "Strong cluster of Cotyledon orbiculata in the Peddie district. 1964." -
Caption: "Dense mass of Clematis in seed, over a shrub. Mount Coke, King Wms Town. June 1961." -
Caption: "The downy, fuzzy, nature of Clematis seeds. July 1963. Near King Williams Town." -
Caption: "Dais cotinifolia: Christmas tree in flower in KWT district, Dec. 1958." -
Caption: "Dais cotinifolia in full flower at Karshagens Bridge, just north of King Williams Town. November 1962." -
Caption: "Dais cotinifolia in full flower at Karshagens Bridge on National Road, just north of King Williams Town. November 1962." -
Caption: "Cotyledon argentea in Fish River Valley near Hunt's drift. Aug. 1960." -
Caption: "Cotyledon beckeri growing in thatch of rondavel roof, Angler Inn, Hamburg, C.P. July 1960." -
Caption: "Pale pink Dierama at Gonubie, East London. Aug. 1958." -
Caption: "Berries of Ehretia hottentotica. The Hottentot Lilac." -
Caption: "Kapokbossie, Eriocephalus near Aberdeen, C.P. 10/06/1955. The kapok-voels use this for their nest. The blue colour here is quite wrong. It should be off white. " -
Caption: "Aloes near Riversdale. Southern Cape Province. Aalwyne naby Riversdal. Aloe ferox. Suidelike Kaapprovinsie." -
Caption: "Aloes near Pearston. Eastern Cape Province. Aalwyne naby Pearston. Oostelike Kaapprovinsie." -
Caption: "Tree ferns on top of Kologha Mt. Natural forest beyond. June 1961 (G.Ranger) " -
Caption: "Stand of Agave in full flower near Lady Grey, Jan. 1964." -
Caption: "Close-up of stand of Agave in full flower. Jan. 1964. When the photo was taken the flowers were full of nectar." -
Caption: "Tree fern at Giants Castle Reserve. 1956." -
Newspaper article: "Cycads, South Africa's precious living fossils, are being stolen and sold to smart-set gardeners in South Africa, Japan and the United States reports The Daily News. Plants of one rare species, Encephelatus Woodii, have been offered for sale in the United States for R5 000. Botanists say cycads sell for R26 a centimeter overseas, so that a waist-high plant fetches about R2 500. Cycads are very slow-growing. Plants germinated 12 years ago at the Natal Botanical Gardens have a stem the size of a small football. Hence plants of a reasonable size may be hundreds of years old, while the rootstock from which the plants grow may be thousands of years old. There are 28 species in South Africa and seven occur in Natal. They are known in Afrikaans as Broodboom (bread tree) because Hottentots were said to make bread from the pith, after it had been left to rot for two months. A spokesman for the Natal Parks Board said the authorities could not prevent exploitation. Convictions for removing protected plants were difficult to obtain as it was almost impossible to prove where the plants came from unless the culprits were caught red-handed. When found to be in illegal possession, plants ere confiscated and planted out.Miss Jane Baxter, Natal Parks Board public relations officer, dwarfed by a giant cycad, Encephelatus Natalensis. This fine plant is thought to be between 150 and 200 years old. The Daily News. S. A. Digest. 8 June 1979." -
Newspaper article: "This huge Moreton Bay wild fig tree in the Port Elizabeth Club grounds (the tree with the biggest spread in the city?) is no doubt one of the "nice lot of seedlings" raised from seed in 1882 by Mr John Wilson. Four were planted in the corners of Trinder Square when it was laid out as a garden in 1888. As the ohter Ficus macrophylla seedlings were distributed "far and wide," the great landmark trees at the corner of Main Road and 17th Avenue, Walmer, were probably from the same lot. (Macro-phylla means long-leafed of big-leafed.)" -
Newspaper article: "Plant may send spire toppling. Few of the people who attend services at Grahamstown's historical Methodist Commemoration Church know that one of the five spires which top the old building is in danger of being destroyed - by a plant. The plant, a wild fig which takes root in any foreign substance and grows without soil, is slowly sending its long, leaf-tipped shoots along the delicate cement-work of the spire".
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Caption: "A huge wild fig, F. natalensis in Bathurst, Sept. 1963. It stands on the corner opposite the Pig & Whistle Hotel. The overall spread is 56 yards one way and 47 the other, yet there is only one main stem. Ii is amazing that lateral branches can remain in place without splitting at the main stem. One large branch broke off in ca 1975. A large branch broke off in 1983. The rest were cut back to the main trunk. The main stem of the big wild fig at Bathurst town showing how close to the ground the branches start to spread. Sept. 1963. Planted in 1918." -
Caption: "Heavy crop of wild figs on the big tree opposite the Pig & Whistle Hotel, Bathurst. Sept. 1963. They were fed over by large flocks of black-bellied and redwing starlings. Ficus ceratostoma."