1895 Goldmann Map of the Witwatersrand Gold Fields, Johannesburg

A rare and stunning 1895 large-format folding cadastral map of gold claims during the Witwatersrand Gold Rush, prepared by the appropriately-names Charles Sydney Goldman, printed by Langonnet et Langlet, and published by Henry Dupont. It demonstrates the evolution of mining methods and the rapid growth of Johannesburg and surrounding towns with the influx of miners.

A Closer Look

Covering lands corresponding to today's Johannesburg and surrounding suburbs, this map provides an intricate catalog of claims to the Witwatersrand Gold Reef, running in an east-west strip across a portion of the Transvaal. A legend at top-left explains the outlines, symbols, and coloration of the map, employing and translating between a combination of English, French, and Afrikaans. The green outlines display the borders and owners of farms predating the gold rush, while red solid and dashed lines mark out the outcroppings (affleurements) or 'reefs' of gold-bearing ore. Most noticeably, claims are labelled with color-shading; some owners are individuals and small-time operations, while other claims belong to larger estates and conglomerations, usually agents of the 'randlord' mining magnates. Not visible in the scan, but apparent upon viewing the map in person, is gilt highlighting further emphasizing the location of gold deposits.

Townships, now neighborhoods or suburbs of Johannesburg, are clearly displayed with geometric grids and are connected by a significant and growing network of railways. Surrounding the map are diagrams, inset maps, and text providing geologic and geographic information on the Witwatersrand. At top-right, two diagrams explain deep-level mining operations and the digging of wells (puits), which were increasingly necessary as the easy-to-access gold on surface outcroppings was quickly snatched up. Insets at bottom display the Heidelberg District (southeast of Johannesburg), the Transvaal as a whole, the Klerksdorp District (southwest of Johannesburg), and the Northern Extension (north of the city). At bottom-right are a geologic map and two geologic cross-sections of the Witwatersrand region, as well as a text portion explaining the geology of the region, mining operations to date, and future prospects, (correctly) concluding that tremendous amounts of gold could continue to be extracted for decades to come.

The Witwatersrand Gold Rush

This map was issued during the Witwatersrand Gold Rush, which can be traced to 1884 but which began in earnest in 1886. The Boers, who dominated the region following the Great Trek of the 1830s, were mostly farmers, and few had the technical skills to exploit the newly discovered mines. Nonetheless, word got out of the gold discovery. When the wealth of the Witwatersrand Reef was fully understood, thousands flocked into the region, creating one of the largest gold rushes in history. The city of Johannesburg sprang up in short order, similar to other gold rush cities like San Francisco and Melbourne, and within a decade eclipsed Cape Town. Over the same timeframe, South Africa, starting from scratch, came to supply one-quarter of the world's gold. British diamond magnates, including Cecil Rhodes and Barney Barnato, maneuvered to seize control of the Witwatersrand Reef and its massive potential wealth.

Measures, in the form of taxation and other restrictions, were taken by the Boer government to prevent control of the region from falling to the foreigners, or uitlanders, to little effect. As in other gold rush contexts, restrictions were also placed on the property rights of non-Whites, including Black Africans and Chinese, Indian, and other migrant laborers. The tensions between the British, being led by 'randlord' mining magnates like Rhodes, and the Boers eventually led to the disastrous Jameson Raid at the end of 1895 and the Second Boer War (1899 - 1902). The mines were shut down and the British and Boers threw themselves at one another with a vengeance. After marshalling huge armies, the British were able to subdue the Boer Republics, and move down the path of incorporation into a South African union. The gold rush had profound and lasting effects on the Witwatersrand region and South Africa as a whole, leading to increased immigration, urbanization, and industrialization, as well as the exploitation of labor and racial segregation.

Publication History and Census

This map was prepared by Charles Sydney Goldman (or Goldmann) in 1895, printed by Langonnet et Langlet, and published by Henry Dupont, whopublished a regular journal La Revue Sud-Africaine focusing exclusively on the British controlled South African mining industry. His cartographic output includes a similar, though smaller, 1902 cadastral map of Johannesburg (also sold by us). The present map is quite scarce, only being noted among the holdings of five institutions in the OCLC, all of which are in Europe or South Africa. It is equally rare on the private market, only appearing once in recent years.