GEOLOGY OF THE TRANSVAAL (Published 1904)

Johannesburg: Esson & Perkins, 1904

8vo, viii + 90pp. Hardcover binding with gilt lettering to spine and front board. 2 fold-out maps at rear.

Gustaaf Adolf Frederik Molengraaff (27 February 1860 – 26 March 1942) was a Dutch geologist, biologist and explorer. He became an authority on the geology of South Africa and the Dutch East Indies. In 1897 Molengraaff became "state geologist" of the Transvaal Republic. His task was to start the geological survey of the Transvaal. While mapping the Transvaal he discovered the Bushveld complex. In 1900 he got involved in the Second Boer War and had to return to the Netherlands. This gave him time to write a report on the geology of the Transvaal, and travel to Celebes, where he (again) studied gold deposits. Due to his reputation as a geologist he could return to South Africa in 1901 to work as a geological consultant. One of his assignments was to describe the newly found Cullinan diamond for the Central Bank of South Africa. Meanwhile the Boer War still had his attention. One of his ideas was to give each soldier a small tin identity card, which later became practice in armies around the world. (Wikipedia.com)

Condition: Good. Ex-library copy, withdrawn, with usual stamps, stickers, markings and pockets pasted in. Minor shelfwear to top and tail of spine, slight wear to boards, minor indentations to rear board. Front endpaper coming loose, browning to endpapers and pastedowns, slight foxing throughout. Closed tear to one of the fold-out maps, repaired with masking tape. Smaller fold-out map has light foxing. Text overall clean, copy well bound.