The Voortrekkers of South Africa – Manfred Nathan
The Voortrekkers of South Africa – Manfred Nathan (Copy A – J.S. Kriel Association Copy)
Centenary Era First Edition from the Personal Library of a Historic South African Figure
Bibliographic Specifications
- Title: The Voortrekkers of South Africa: From the Earliest Times to the Foundation of the Republics
- Author: Manfred Nathan
- Publisher: Central News Agency (CNA) / J.L. van Schaik, Johannesburg & Pretoria
- Publication Date: 1937
- Edition Details: First Edition. Published on the eve of the 1938 Great Trek Centenary.
- Binding: Original publisher's premium blue cloth hardcover binding with bright gilt-stamped cover and spine lettering.
- Physical Format: Octavo (8vo). Illustrated with rare historical plates, maps, and archival portraits.
- Language: English
- ISBN: None issued (Pre-ISBN Antiquarian Era).
Official Condition Report
- The Book: Good (G)
- Exterior: The blue cloth binding remains completely tight, structurally stable, and uncracked. The gilt lettering on the upper board and spine panel is beautifully bright and legible. Displays clear, expected handling wear and rubbing to the crown and heel of the spine section.
- Interior: The internal text block is structurally secure, tight, and square. Exhibits light, uniform age-tanning and minor spotting on the preliminary leaves, entirely localized to the front free endpapers and the title sheet.
- The Dust Jacket: Not Applicable (As Issued)
- Condition: Preserved and presented in the publisher's decorated cloth boards; issued without a jacket.
- Provenance / Inscriptions: Exceptional antiquarian association value. Features an authentic historical Exlibris bookplate adhered to the front free endpaper reading: "No 25 JS KRIEL". Located neatly above this plate is a sharp, vintage ink signature tracking its later chain of custody: "Joan Scott, Eben Haeser, Derry street, Devilspeak Estate, Cape Town". A remarkable, well-documented specimen of twentieth-century private South African libraries.
Synopsis & Historical Value
Published in 1937, The Voortrekkers of South Africa is a definitive, landmark historical overview written to provide an objective, English-language account of the pioneer migration ahead of its historic centenary.
Dr. Manfred Nathan meticulously traces the movement from its earliest Cape roots to the ultimate founding of the Boer Republics. This specific copy stands out as a highly collectible association piece, bearing the numbered personal Exlibris bookplate ("No 25") of J.S. Kriel. The Kriel name is deeply woven into the fabric of South African history, descending from early Cape Huguenot stock whose branches mirrored the exact migratory patterns detailed within these pages.
The volume offers an exceptional, fully traceable chain of mid-century custody. It moved from the organized, scholarly shelves of the Kriel family library down to the historic "Eben Haeser" residence on Derry Street in the old Cape Town suburb of Devil's Peak Estate. This rich provenance adds distinct socio-historical character, turning a standard centenary text into a well-preserved artifact of twentieth-century private South African bibliophilia.
Author Profile: Manfred Nathan
Dr. Manfred Nathan (1875–1945) was a highly distinguished South African jurist, author, and president of the Income Tax Appeal Court. A brilliant legal mind trained at the University of the Cape of Good Hope, Nathan was incredibly prolific, writing foundational texts on South African common law alongside highly respected historical biographies. His analytical approach as a lawyer allowed him to write frontier history with a rare balance of legal clarity and narrative precision.
