It’s taken just over 3-and-a-half years, but the site has just hit 100 000 views since moving to WordPress!
40 000 were from 2015 alone and with 2016 already on 20 000, I’m pleased to report it is picking up speed splendidly.
I wanted to thank a few people who have contributed to the continued success of the site: Percy Tucker, Museum Africa, Eli Rabinowitz from Tangential Travel , Doron Locketz from Bookdealers, James Ball from Heritage Portal and Jo Buitendach from Past Experiences. Also my wife who prints out all the pictures and maps (and generally puts up with my mild obsession) and my two boys who get dragged around Joburg while I (and they, while I’m driving) take endless reference pictures.
Of course, it’s the constant stream of visitors who make it all worthwhile. The read rate is really high and not a week goes by where I don’t get a mail from someone around the world looking for information or sharing a memory or an old picture of Johannesburg. Also satisfying are mentions, comments and shares from respected heritage experts, architects and tour operators.
Top 5 countries from where views originate: South Africa, USA, UK, Australia, Netherlands
Top referrers to Johannesburg1912: Google, Facebook, Tangential Travel, JHBLive, JewishGen.org, The Guardian
Most read posts:
History of Theatres, History of Trams, Doornfontein Pt.2 (presumably for the info on the old clubs MANDYS, Idols and ESP), Hillbrow Pt.1 and Lost Churches
I’m making good progress on part 2 of the Lost Churches piece. It’s turning out to be a monster and while I never intended for it to be an exhaustive list, I can’t help finding important new additions. While doing the research, I’ve picked up a lot of additional information that I’ve used to update part 1 of the church piece and various other posts. Do go back and re-visit some of the early posts.
Thanks for reading! Please feel free to follow the site via e-mail here
Johannesburg 1912 - suburb by suburb research 
Well done Marc! Thanks for the mention. I wish you continued successes!
Thanks Eli! I’ll be linking to your new posts on the tour we did together soon.
Great! Cheers
I’m a touist guide & use your site regularly.
I owned a shop in Yeoville in the 1990’s called ‘Bizarre Music’ & through that association worked in the dance music industry since 1992 (the inception of edm to Jo’burgs entertainment platforms), so it makes sense that I find your research & insights ‘interesting & informative’.
Thanks Merle! I used to buy records from your store which I still proudly have.
Hi Marc,
I have three negatives in my possession of old Johannesburg. I don’t know if you are interested in them,
but as I have no use for them, I would rather someone like you would have them instead on the bin.
One is in Market street with horse drawn trams, one is old Stuttafords building and the last one is possibly
of market square.
Kind regards,
Anthony Bass.
Cell 083 308 5675
Tel 011 884 1773
anthony@thebreathegroup.com
Thanks Marc for a wonderful insight into Joburg, is it maybe possible to do a section on Newtown/ Brickfields specifically?
wow loving your page.
Thanks for reading!
Great Sight, I managed a food outlet for a short while in Pretoria Street: Pick’n a Chick’n (mid 60’s)
also remember a musician, Hennie Becker (ex Rhodesian now in Canada) had a band and
used to play I think at the Summit Club.
What an awesome read. I work in the Civic Centre across the road from Constitutional Hill and I never knew all these places even existed around me. Now looking out my office window and driving home i recognise them all. (The Fever Hospital is my daily view ! who knew…)
I lived in Braamfontein from when I was born in 1947 at the Queen Vic Hospital till 1963 I went to a primary school called Spes Bona where the now Civic Center is build. High school I attended Con Cowen in Auckland park which was taken over by the now Johannesburg University. Your article brought lots of memories back to me.
Thanks Sandy!
Does anyone remember a cafe in Highpoint called Cafe Costa I think. I had an office in Highpoint late 90’s.