Architectural Beauty of the old Cape as seen by Arthur Elliott. Photograaphs of houses and farmsteads now largely demolished or ruined taken at the beginning of the twentieth century (1969)

Of the nearly 10,000 negatives in the Elliott Collection, bought by the Government Archives in Cape Town soon after the American-born Elliott died in 1938, fewer than 2000 are of architectural subjects. Of these, Fransen, then the curator of the Stellenbosch Museum, selected 160 \"of the best and most interesting\" for this book. Nearly all depicted \"subjects no longer in existence. The thirty-odd photographs of scens that do still exist unchanged today have been included because they aare Elliott\'s \'classics\'. They also introduce a note of optimism.\"

Although the publisher appears to give no acknowledgment in the book to the designer and typographer, typesetter, printer (Gothic?) or binder, their work considerably enhances Fransen\'s fine selection and commentary and Auret\'s artistic prints.

The bold but otherwise unattractive dustjacket seems out of place on such a beautifully made book. The dustjacket of ths copy has been extensively repaired to appear more or less complete. The grey linen boards, gilt to front panel and spine, are almost mint, and the binding remains fine despite the unfair demands of a square format and heavy text stock. The plain endpapers are unmarked but sunned. The book\'s viii + 343 pp of text, photographs and index are in near-fine condition, unmarked and undiscoloured and are marred only by readers\' finger-stains at the lower corners.