DESCRIPTION: Very rare sales broadside of the Witwatersrand gold fields of Johannesburg held by Gold Fields of South Africa, South Africa's first mining house, now Gold Fields. After the Witwatersrand gold rush in 1886 Consolidated Gold Fields was rated in 1897 as the most valuable company in the world, no doubt due in large part to the valuable assets detailed in this sales advertisement (1).
That company was formed in 1887, during the Witwatersrand gold rush, by Cecil Rhodes and Charles Rudd to hold properties they had acquired on the Transvaal's Witwatersrand gold fields. Reorganized as Consolidated Gold Fields of South Africa (Consgold) in 1892, this map from 1897 details the company's holdings near Johannesburg, SA.
Cecil John Rhodes was a British mining magnate from southern Africa who served as Prime Minister of the Cape Colony from 1890 to 1896 and was the founder of De Beers diamond company.
Rare. No copy of this map is found online or in the AMPR. Printed by Waterlow and Sons Limited, London. Map of the "Central Section" implies that this example would have been flanked by similar maps forming the west and east sections
The Witwatersrand is a 34 mi, north-facing ridge in South Africa. It consists of a hard rock, over which flow several waterfalls. In Afrikaans Witwatersrand, means "ridge of white waters".
(1) Bottom of the map contains a Schedule of Values of unworked reef claims at market prices on September 30, 1897.
PUBLICATION DATE: 1897
GEOGRAPHIC AREA: South Africa
BODY OF WATER: N/A
CONDITION: Very Good.
Clean. A few tiny holes / splits repaired from the verso at margins and at intersection of folds. Shows a bit of wear. Word "only" in MS pencil at the title.
COLORING: N/A
ENGRAVER:
SIZE: 33
" x
20 "
ITEM PHYSICAL LOCATION: 54
PRICE: $2200
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