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A couple of years ago I bought a few old South African DVDs that were shot in the late 1950s and early 1960s. They were for research for a story on ‘Ducktails’ (1950s Johannesburg gang culture and where a lot of our current slang comes from). I eventually watched one of them the other night. While the movie itself was tame (It ain’t no SNATCH or GOODFELLAS), trying to identify the various streets, suburbs and landmarks were enough of a distraction from the non-story.
The year is 1960/61. It’s the end of the 1950s building boom around town and Hillbrow. The trams have also recently been discontinued. The action starts in Birnam, moves down to Rosebank, Zoo Lake, Braamfontein and then finishes up around the streets of Joubert Park and the Lutheran Church on Twist Street (where the movie actually started – at a wedding).
One of sets included an underground rock ‘n roll club. On one wall was painted ‘I love Elvis’. On another was ‘Boone is ‘n square’ presumably referring to the more wholesome and uncool Pat Boone from the same era.
Corlett Drive looking up toward Wanderers
Corlett looking west. Those shops behind him are all gone
Old Sunningdales Hotel in Corlett Drive looking very different
Looking down Corlett Drive toward Birnam
Corlett Drive looking east
Old bus
In the film, it looked like the bus route road was in the vicinity of the zoo or Zoo Lake.
The Craighall bus
Jan Smuts Avenue looking toward Tyrwhitt Ave toward the parking lot where Thrupps used to be.
This corner today is the building 160 Jan Smuts. It used to be open street parking bays with shops further back. On the corner was Thrupps as well as a jeweler called Prissel & Kessell (spelling may be incorrect)
Looking toward Jan Smuts Ave.
Jan Smuts and Tyrwhitt today
Corner of Jan Smuts and 7th showing the house where Mail & Guardian building now stands
Looking down Tyrwhitt Avenue near the old Rosebank Hotel
Oxford Corner – possibly the corner of Oxford and Tyrwhitt
The Rosebank commercial area has changed many times from it’s original development in the late 1940s. Shopping centres and mews replaced the street shops in the 70s and 80s and those have mostly been updated again recently with all the Gautrain developments.
Oxford Road looking north close to Bolton Road
Grosvenor Motors in Rosebank
Grosvenor Motors was a Ford dealership and possibly even a Rolls Royce/Bentley agent. I can’t work out where it was but it appears to have been on Oxford Road. It may have also been on Jan Smuts Avenue close to where the Mail & Guardian is today (although the car would be traveling in the wrong direction based on the film chase scene)
Little dam wall at Zoo Lake
Zoo Lake road leading up to the swimming pool
Top of Jan Smuts at WITS looking north
Top of Jan Smuts looking toward Braamfontein
Braamfontein from the top of Jan Smuts
Some buildings and houses from the old LION Brewery on the top of Jan Smuts across from WITS
Another shot from the top of Jan smuts showing more buildings on the left in Braamfontein
Wolmarans Street at Joubert Park looking west toward King George Street
Wolmarans Street today. Note the same white bricks on the building on the right
Looking south down Twist Street on the corner of Wolmarans Street
Johannesburg Art Gallery Twist Street entrance
St. George’s church seen from the Twist Street entrance of the gallery where Cinema/Thunderdome building is today
View across the tracks today
King George Street next to Joubert Park
Twist Street near Lutheran Church showing old tram tracks
Looking north toward Hillbrow from close to Joubert Park. Street unknown
Old house near the Lutheran Church Twist Street
This old house may be the back of the parsonage connected to the church. It stood on the corner of Twist and Kapteijn Streets
Claim Street looking north near the 7th Day Adventist church
Claim street looking north
Lutheran church Twist Street
Lutheran church
Reference:
Basie – directed by Gordon Vorster starring Ian Strauss, Vivki Vosloo and Piet Bezuidenhout Cat: MNETDVD261 purchased from http://www.takealot.com
Update:
The second part of the church piece is proving to be a massive undertaking and it now covers around 160 buildings. I’ve been working on it since January 2016 but getting information is proving difficult. As such, I’ll be posting what I have in the coming weeks and will update when I get new information.
Johannesburg 1912 - suburb by suburb research 
Dear Marc, The Johannesburg views of the 50’s and 1960’s are incredible! Thanks so very much for all your hard work of bringing back many wonderful years and unforgettable memories of Hillbrow and surrounding suburbs. Does anyone have pictures of Kotze street in the early 1960’s before that huge shopping center was built? Thanks again Marc, looking forward to your next post.
This is brilliant. Thank you
Awesome pics most of them taken before I was born in 1967 but very little changed in the years until I remember visiting Rosebank as a young child in the early 70s the theatre where the new Standard Bank building is now cnr Oxford and Bolton also the Thrupps area close to 160 Jan Smuts also had a movie theatre (as did Parkview and Greenside)
Many thanks and a big virtual ((hug)) for all these treasures….dear Mark!! Lived in Joeys with my family from 1975 – 1986 ( Edenvale, Randburg, Sandton )
Photos certainly brought back lots of memories of being a youngster in Jhb. And the cars! Thank you so much Marc for your wonderful work.
Thanks for checking it out Lois!
Your effort to give us these memories is greatly appreciated. I am a real oldie born in 1935 – I cannot tell you how many memories these pictures revived. Heartfelt thanks.
Great stuff, Marc. You are performing an invaluable service both to nostalgics and serious historians.
Thanks Jack! High praise indeed
At first I thought ‘Basie’ was a biopic about the Count!
No such luck…this one rhymes with haasie
A small hare.
Always nice to see views of old Johannesburg, taken in those days when I was a youngster in that once great city.
Grosvenor Motors Rosebank, Ford show rooms on Oxford Rd and work shops and petrol station were on the back side of the show rooms on Baker Square?, facing the parking lot. Bought a Ford Ranchero V8 there in 1969.
Thanks Dean! It makes sense. What is throwing me is that I think they shot the car going in a different direction. In the film, they should be travelling south towards town down Oxford, but this shot was done in the other direction (I think…) Anyway, I think you’ve provided the basic area!
*Thanks ever so much for those old scenes of our beloved city. Apparently much of it it has now gone to ruins. Fred*
I worked at the Belfast in Rosebank as a student on Saturday mornings and School holidays in 1968/9/70. I remember getting R2.20 for Saturday 8.00- !.00. There was a tea room in Twyrette ave at the staff entrance that sold Toasted cheese samies fo 7and a half cents. A packet of Texan and matches was 20cents. Petrol 9cents a litre and a beer in the Oxford hotel was 18cents. Ian
Thanks for that memory Ian, I worked at the Belfast in town also on Saturday mornings and school holidays during 1968 and 1969.
The rolls Royce garage was pretty much where the Goodman gallery is now. It was initially at I elide street I understand
Eloff
Thanks Greg! I didn’t know that.
Good afternoon, Thank you for your reply! Let me go into a little more detail re, the Ford dealership showrooms on Oxford rd. The car is not on Oxford Rd hence it is travelling south it is on the service road behind the shops / showroom, the camera man has his back to Baker Str, Craddock ave is the next road down Baker street below the car park, the netball court you can see in the picture was used by the local schools, look across the court and you will see a solid wall which is the back or the old cinema on Oxford Rd. Look above the cinama back wall and you can just see the to of one of the Phoenix palms in Oxford Rd. To the left of the camera was the open car park under Jacaranda trees. The Mobil sign Pegasus is in front of the Ford work shops in the service road. The RR show room was down Tyrwhitt corner of Jan smuts ave on the lower right hand corner. Kind Regards, Dean Eaton
Good to see views of Johannesburg taken in previous times.
Pingback: Johannesburg in 1961 on JHBLive | Marc Latilla
Thanks For this Marc, I grew up in Hillbrow in the 1960/1970’s – living in Burlington Court on Edith Cavell Street opposite the Lutheran Church. My first move out of home to stay on my own was to Cresthill Mansions on the corner of Pietersen and Twist at the back of the church. Used to walk through Joubert Park everyday to work in the city. Great memories.
Thanks Gail! I was an 80s kid in Hillbrow and also walked through the park when I worked at the Pizza Hut in Smal Street. I was a over the hilll on Clarendon Circle
Thanks for the great pics/memories. I lived in Parkwood in the 60’s.
I think the Movie-house in Rosebank (Oxford Road) was the Odean.
In Lower Rosebank next to Thrupps there was also one – I think it was the Parisienne – but not sure. Can anyone confirm??
Thanks Barry! I’ll look into it. Constantia seems to ring a bell but that may have been on Oxford.
I also lived in Parkwood late 40’s to about 1970, went to Rosebank school, I can confirm Odeon Cinema in Oxford Road and Parysia in near Thrupps
I remember the name as Parys, but perhaps it was Parysia. It became the Constantia later. This was lower Rosebank, near Thrupps and slightly west of Dainties confectioner & bakery. The Odeon was on Oxford Rd near the hotel.
Many many thanks for your effort
please continue your research on johannesburg
Olaf from Leipzig – Germany
Thanks Olaf! I intend to
Thanks Marc! 1974 in Doornfontein. Have loved all your valuable old stuff!
Great to have stumbled across this on a lazy sunday morning reminiscing about joburg. I was brought up in parkview through the 70s and later moved to near Rosebank in the 80s. Although the black and white pics are earlier than this, most buildings were relatively unchanged in my time. The zoo lake dam wall and swimming pool are clear like yesterday! Keep going!
Thanks Anthony!
Thanks Marc for the great photos. Brought back so many memories. Grew up in Hillbrow in 1950s and later moved to Greenside. Loved going to the Rex Cinema in Greenside, The Lake cinema in Parkview and our special Saturday night treats we’re eating out at the The Golden Spur, Rosebank or at Papagallos on Jan Smuts avenue, Orange Grove. Oh happy days!
Thanks Neil! The Lakeview building still stands although it’s an antique flea market these days. The area is very popular.
I appreciate all the work in collating these pictures. Thanks. Does anyone remember Dainties on lower Tyrwhitt ave? I loved their “mouse” cakes – little pastries with icing and a face of a mouse.