GESCHIEDENIS VAN DE KAAP DE GOEDE HOOP (1825 Edition and Modern Facsimile Reprint)

8vo, Hardcovers, 100pp each, 1825 edition comes in specially-made clamshell box, published 1825 & 1975 by W. Bridekirk & SA Library

Joseph Suasso de Lima (1791-1858) was a doctor of jurisprudence, translator, teacher, scholar, newspaper editor, stationer and bookseller, prolific and literate poet, writer, playwright and avid supporter of theatre.

In 1826 he started up a weekly newspaper in Dutch, De Verzamelaar (1826-1848), which became the Kaapsche Courant in 1827, but was out of business by 1830, although De Lima kept trying to resuscitate it, notably from 1839 to 1848. In 1826 he also began a Dutch "Leesboekery" ("reading bookshop"), which also did not do so well.

In 1835 he began a "Boek-, Papier- en Prentenwinkel" ("Book, Paper and Picture Shop"), opening a second shop in 1838 and expanding to create the "Zuid-Afrikaanse Bazaar en Boekwinkel" ("South African bazaar and Bookshop"), which eventually did well enough to stabilize his life to a degree until his death in 1858, though he was never really financially successful. He was also the author of the first history of the Cape published in Africa (Geschiedenis van de Kaap de Goede Hoop, 1825). (https://esat.sun.ac.za/index.php/Joseph_Suasso_de_Lima)

Condition: Overall good-very good. Light rubbing and superficial wear to clamshell box, 1825 edition appears to be recased. Stains, small indentations and general superficial wear to boards, previous owner’s signature to title page, and small open tears probably caused by insects to endpapers of 1825 edition. Facsimile reprint has sunning to its spine, but otherwise in a very good condition.