Cape Town - Many may be unaware that one of South Africa’s most fascinating collections is housed in the unlikely location of an old Western Cape wine cellar – a building that will be 200 years old this year.
The eclectic collection of more than 4 500 books was that of mining magnate, politician and philanthropist Sir Lionel Phillips, who acquired the famous Somerset West estate Vergelegen in 1917. The winery building was then in disrepair and his wife Lady Florence, a passionate supporter of art, architecture and craft, oversaw its conversion into a library.
Anglo American bought the farm in 1987 and has since restored the estate to its former glory. Open to the public, the estate now receives 100 000 visitors annually. It has hosted events for, amongst others, former presidents Nelson Mandela and Bill Clinton and Britain’s Queen Elizabeth.
The library is now furnished in classic English country house style, with a collection dominated by history (from ancient to modern) as well as books on travel and a small collection of Africana. There are magnificent art, music and garden books, 444 in total and a collection on architecture, including furniture and metal designs.
The scientific books are mostly of the physical science discipline, plus a few mining books and some on farming. There is much of Darwin’s writings, some archaeology, anthropology and philosophy, but just one cookery book. 168 volumes are in French.
Many of the books are folio size and stored in cupboards below the shelves, protecting hand-coloured and illuminated illustrations from deterioration.
Bound volumes of periodicals include Punch, The Burlington Magazine on fine and decorative arts, Connoisseurs, The Craftsmen and a collection of Japanese art issues.
Three of the oldest books were printed in the 17th century: Memories Geographiques des Tours les Paye du Monde by D’Abbeville P Duval (1686); Second Voyage de Siam by Pere Tachard (1689); and Den Nederlandsen Hovenier by I van der Groen (1696).
“This last book is printed in Gothic script and contains garden plans, a garden almanac, information on pruning, grafting, plant containers and tools. It’s the kind of book that the original owner of Vergelegen, Cape governor Willem Adriaan van der Stel, might have read,” Vergelegen managing director Don Tooth said.
Vergelegen was founded in 1700 when van der Stel was granted 400 morgen of land, which he transformed into a model estate to rival Europe’s finest.
Unsurprisingly, he incurred the envy and resentment of the local settler community and in October 1706 was ignominiously dismissed.
The Theunissen family bought the farm in 1798. During their tenure of over a century, wine farmers prospered under British rule, as preferential tariffs were given to Cape wines in England during the Napoleonic Wars. Marthinus Wilhelmus Theunissen invested in a new cellar, now the library building, in 1816.
“The cellar is built in neo-classical style with triangular pediment and fluted pilasters in the front gable,” said historian Marianne Gertenbach. “Fransen describes the gable as dated 1816 with the little ‘thumb’ wings peculiar to the district, being merely extensions of the outline moulding.
“Typically, the wine cellar is T-shaped with arched windows on either side of the front doors. The gable window is also arched and so is the fanlight above the front door. This is emphasised by the moulding above the fanlight.”
The Phillipses ushered in a new era when they acquired Vergelegen, with Lady Florence consulting Percy Walgate, the renowned architect of the Herbert Baker school, during the five years it took to restore and remodel the Cape Dutch homestead.
When the library alterations were made in 1920, records indicate a wall was broken through into an adjoining building. That floor level was lowered to accommodate Lady Florence’s collection of tapestries.
As Sir Lionel was very fond of music, an organ was installed at one end of the library.
A Spanish wrought-iron gate and monogrammed brass door handles were taken from Villa Arcadia, their Johannesburg home and fitted here.
The library also includes handwritten notes for Lady Florence’s own book, Some South African Recollections and Sir Lionel’s two publications, Some Reminiscences and Transvaal Problems – Some Notes on Current Politics.
When Sir Lionel died in 1936 and Lady Florence in 1940, their funeral services were held in the library at Vergelegen.
The new owners were Charles Sydney (Punch) Barlow and his wife Cynthia.
Dances were often held in the library where Sir Lionel’s collection remained intact. Barlow was a keen conservationist and sponsored Austin Roberts’s book on birds.
Their son Tom Barlow sold Vergelegen to Anglo-American in 1987 but continued to take an interest and loaned several items of furniture, such as a mahogany specimen cabinet, for display in the library.
Acknowledging the role of Lady Florence in the establishment of the Johannesburg Art Gallery, Iziko’s SA National Gallery has also loaned paintings and bronzes to complement the history and style of the library and homestead.
The estate is open every day apart from Christmas Day, Good Friday and Workers’ Day. Opening hours are 9.30am to 5pm. Entrance is R10 for adults, R5 for pensioners and pupils. Pensioners enter free on Mondays.
For more information, see www.vergelegen.co.za.
Weekend Argus Reporter
l Sources: Vergelegen Estate records; No Ordinary Woman – The Life and Times of Florence Phillips by Thelma Gutsche (1966).