A century of artefacts

THE Stellenbosch University will open the much anticipated exhibition which creatively narrates the stories of the institution over the past 100 years.

The university’s museum’s exhibition “100 Artefacts for hundred years”, opening, forms part of the commemoration of the institution’s centenary.

Museum Research Senior Curator Matilda Burden said the items on display will each have its own unique story to tell and is directly linked to the university.

“It might not tell a one continuing story of the university, but each artefact has a story that contributes to how we know the university today.”

Among the items is a Magic Lantern projector, which the university said most probably dates from the ‘30s, or even earlier, used by the renowned “Oom Pietie le Roux” to record activities of the “Stellenbosch Boereorkes”. Le Roux started the orchestra in 1933, with members he recruited among Stellenbosch University students.

Also on display is a Feldmeyer iron used back in the day, when the university had a Department of Home Economics.

“It is, however, not only artefacts and interesting items from days gone by that form part of the exhibition, but also items from the university’s recent past. This includes a wooden ‘broom horse’ of Simonsberg’s Met, one of the rugby balls with which Maties won the Varsity Cup in 2018 and a 3D-printed model of a bird mummy from the Department of Ancient Studies,” said the university.

The oldest object is a grandfather clock dating from 1780 and the most recent is the centenary flag from 2018. The smallest object is a signet ring from the Faculty of Military Science and the largest is the council table first used for meetings of the Victoria College Council and then later by the University Council.

The exhibition is to be opened by SU rector and vice-chancellor Professor Wim de Villiers at 6pm in the University Museum in Ryneveld Street, Stellenbosch.

It will be opened today to the public until June 2020.