article  // 15 Aug 2018

The 1968 "Mafeje Affair" sit-in, 50 years on

Archie Mafeje was offered a post as anthropology lecturer at UCT. The offer was then rescinded as a result of government pressure. 1968 was a year marked by student protests across the globe. The "Mafeje Affair" was the spark that ignited s
article  // 20 Mar 2020

New edition: Guide to the Manuscripts in the UCT Libraries

An updated edition of the Guide to the Manuscripts in the UCT Libraries has been published and is accessible on the Special Collections website. The Guide provides a synoptic collection-level overview of the manuscript and archival holdings
article  // 20 Mar 2023

Human Rights in the AV Archive

The urgency to restore the AV collections in UCT Libraries Special Collections is underscored by their critical role in documenting the history of struggle, and transition to, human rights and democracy in South Africa.
page  // 19 Jun 2023

Primary Collections

Our primary collections consist of archival holdings such as manuscripts, audiovisual archives, photographs and the UCT Historical Pamphlets and Photographs Collection.
article  // 28 Mar 2023

Tape: A paper conservators’ worst nightmare

Since the invention of pressure-sensitive tapes in the 1920’s, it became an ideal solution for a variety of applications. However, conservators know its long-term effects as disfiguring, damaging, and it is very very difficult to remove.
page  // 19 Jun 2023

Manuscripts

Our archival holdings consist of original research material and personal papers on the political, social, cultural and economic history of Southern Africa, with a strong focus on the Western Cape.
page  // 13 Nov 2024

Memory@UCT

This blog gives a platform to archivists and researchers to explore the memories preserved at UCT.