Crown Studios - Bughwan and Co Photographers, Durban

Dennis Bughwan, proprietor of the Crown Studios, Durban. The business was originally established by his father, a well-known photographer. There were at one time eight branches under the name Crown Studios but with the implementing of the Group Areas Act these properties were lost.




Devi Bughwan, daughter of Bhoolasingh, was a broadcaster with SABC and a lecturer at Clairwood Indian High School, who became actively involved in the Crown photographic business. In 1947 she married Dennis Bughwan.  In 1949 she obtained an M.A. degree in English, at that time the first Indian woman in South Africa to achieve that goal. An accomplished amateur stage actress she appeared in many productions. She also lectured for a time in English at the University of Natal.

Happy Victorian Easter to all readers of this blog!

Easter cards were so pretty in the Victorian era. 
Yes, perhaps they were slightly sentimental but the artwork was beautiful. 

These days an Easter card would be an unusual
thing to arrive - who sends cards by post, anyway?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOFl7m6WieQ

Natal Photographers: Knaggs, C J 1899 Durban

C J Knaggs in his photographic studio, 'The Royal Studio'.

Natal Almanac 1899

C J Knaggs is listed at 392 Smith Street, Durban.

Abbotsford wreck

For the blog visitor searching for the barque Abbotsford, go to

https://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?154541

This wrecksite is very useful for famous or obscure ships and provides excellent information.

A barque (bark) is a sailing ship with at least three masts, all of them fully square rigged except for the sternmost one, which is fore-and-aft rigged. 

Natal Photographers: J H Murray; subject Mrs Pepworth

Natal Photographers B Kisch, subject Dacomb of Dunragit

Carte de Visite by B Kisch, taken in Durban, studio not named. The subject is a young man of the Dacomb family, who came to Natal on the Edward. There were three brothers. Charles Dacomb's eldest son was also named Charles. This photograph may be of the son. The latter owned a farm named Dunragit, next door to William Dixon Smith's property at Umzinto. There is a story that this farmer rode a zebra to the fields.