Lot 307: Six books by Olive Schreiner and other (7) | OJW Winelands | Red Car Theory |18 September 2024

Lot 307 of the recent OJW Winelands auction caught my attention. My bid of R425 was successful (estimate R250-R500) and I fetched the items yesterday from their fabulous premises at the Old Tannery near Wellington in the Western Cape. Well worth a visit if you are in the area.

I had bid on a small collection of Olive Schreiner books. From the photos they looked to be early editions, but nothing to get too excited about. Not much really stood out from the accompanying photos other than a biography on Schreiner that had been signed by the author, Vera Buchanan-Gould.

My Freedom Challenge responsibilities have afforded me many weeks over the last five years or so in beautiful historic town of Cradock in the Eastern Cape. Olive Schreiner once lived there and the museum (Schreiner House, her old home) dedicated to her is just down the road from where we normally stay at Die Tuishuise & Victoria Manor in Cradock. I have been to the Schreiner House a number of times, most recently during the Karoo Writer’s (where I was, somewhat to my surprise, one of the speakers) that was held in March of this year. Some of the lectures were held in Schreiner House.

I recall having some interesting chats with Crystal Warren from the Amazwi South African Museum of Literature (formerly the National English Literary Museum) in Makhanda (previously Grahamstown). I asked Crystal as to where the personal Schreiner book collection was. In my travels I had come across original documentation referring to the donation of this personal library by SC Conwright-Schreiner (husband of Olive) to the town of Cradock. The donation documentation/letter insisted that the collection should be kept intact and “securely stored’. I was informed that collection is currently safely located at Amazwi in Makhanda whilst the Olive Schreiner museum is being restored. I’d love to have a look through this Schreiner library one day. I hope it has indeed been kept intact. Given Olive Schreiner’s intellect and broad range of interests it promises to be a fascinating read. I wonder if anyone has written on this topic yet. If not, I’ll do it, if they let me.

Once back in Cape Town I went through the seven books from lot 307. I did this whilst enjoying a splendid cappuccino at Hazz in Newlands in Cape Town. There is something about that space. Good light, good coffee, good food (from Chow Bella), interesting passing parade. Gentleman of a certain age, like me, blend in just fine. At least we think we do. It’s Bok Friday and only the owner and I are wearing Springbok rugby jerseys.

Turns out I have a very unusual accumulation of Schreiner books. They are all first editions, five written by her and two by other authors, one a biography the other a study.  Virtually all are inscribed by and/or dedicated to individuals who were very much part of Olive Schreiner’s life. One book “Trooper Peter Halket of Mashonaland” was once owned by Adela C Villiers (March 1897). She was a great friend of Olive Schreiner. Another book was given to Adela (she was Adela Smith by this stage) and signed by SC Conwright-Schreiner in 1926.

“Closer Union” (1909) was once owned by Ethel Friedlander, also a friend of Olive’s, in De Aar where they both lived. Her daughter, Zelda Friedlander, became a researcher and publisher on Olive Schreiner in her own right.

“Stories, Dreams and Allegories” (1923) has a hand written dedication to “Ethel, from SCC Schreiner 15/2/23). I am pretty sure “Ethel” is Mrs. Ethel Herrman who was also a friend of Olive’s, again from De Aar. It has a postcard to Ethel from (and signed) by Olive Schreiner herself. I am certain about the Herrman link because another book in lot 307 “Olive Schreiner, a study in latent meanings” (1954) by former activist Marion Friedmann “to Dr and Mrs. L Herrman from SA Rochlin”. Presumably a relative of Ethel Herrman. SA Rochlin was an interesting character in his own right, with (at the very least) an outstanding collection of ephemera of South African political and trade union organizations.

Why is Olive Schreiner suddenly looming so large in my life? Perhaps the Red Car Theory is at play here. If you are thinking about buying a red car you will suddenly start noticing red cars everywhere. It does seem slightly bizarre though, but perhaps that shouldn’t be the case. If you are curious, you find stuff and stuff finds you. Happens to me quite often and I am not complaining.

My instinct tells me that I have the straw man for a story here. Perhaps I have already told it but equally I feel there are unexplored avenues. How is that personal Schreiner library collection doing? Have the conditions of the original bequest been adhered to?

Where did this small collection of Schreiner books come from? My guess is through someone in the Herrman family. OJW Winelands is helping me out here, following up on who sold lot 307.Feel free to help me out here. Nothing like leveraging a Buffalo Herder research army. In meantime I have Schreiner books and biographies to read. She was some woman, ahead of her time, in so many areas.

Jan Smuts, in his introduction to one of the books from Lot 307 (“Not Without Honour”, 1948) wrote:

“but I still feel that I came closest to her in a moment when we were far apart – when I was marching with my Commando through the brown, barren hills and valleys of the Eastern Karroo in the South African War, and one of my men said to me: “Here, on this farm, Olive Schreiner kept school when she wrote her book”. How she loved that wild, forbidding country, that fierce South Africa that gave birth to her intense soul! She was then living in seclusion, perhaps in internment, in another part of the Karroo, while I was carrying the fiery cross into the enemy’s territory. Such are the contrarieties of life, and such the difficulties through which we human beings have to pick our way!”

Smuts is obviously referring to the “Story of an African Farm”, Schreiner’s most well-known book, which was written on the farm Ganna Hoek, about ten miles from Cradock. I know this part of the world well, the Freedom Trail passes through here. On the trail we keep hearing of the exploits of Smuts during the Boer (South African) War. Schreiner’s name now also crops up everywhere, like red cars. Perhaps the story is about their relationship? Most of all it is about Olive Schreiner herself. Let us see how it all unfolds. I am glad her books came my way, and thrilled that I have a postcard written by her in my hands.

*note that the various spellings of “Karoo” or “Karroo” are faithful to the original publication and/or current usage.