Publisher's de luxe edition if brown full leather binding with gilt titles on spine.
195pp. Illustrated.
Binding tight. Contents clean. A very good copy.
Signed & dated by the author on the title page. Interestingly, this copy was signed at Olifantsfontein (Elephant Fountain) which, in the past, was also known as Clayville, referring to the clay pits discovered there by Sir Thomas Cullinan. The Olifantsfontein ceramics, known as Linn ware, have become highly sought-after collectables.
'Diamonds and Clay is an appropriate title for this book because it describes how the renowned Sir Thomas Cullinan discovered, almost simultaneously, in the year 1902 a diamond mine and a series of clay pits that were to be the basis of two entirely different industries. If ever a man had the legendary 'Luck of the Irish', Sir Thomas was that man. He was a builder and in that capacity built the first Chamber of Mines in Johannesburg, the Rand Club and many other buildings that were famous landmarks in the nineties. But his hobby was prospecting for diamonds. Almost 90 years ago he told his young wife that one day he would find a diamond mine and present her with the biggest diamond in the world.
He kept this promise. On the outskirts of Pretoria he found a diamond pipe which became the Premier Mine. In this mine was found the Cullinan Diamond, the biggest diamond the world has ever seen. Alas! It proved too big to make a present for his wife for it was valued at that time at R18 000 000.
The great diamond was presented to King Edward VII by the people of the Transvaal Colony and now adds lustre to Britain's Crown Jewels. The clay pits, while less glamorous than the diamonds, founded an industry which today is of great importance to the South African steel makers. It took thirty four years to get this industry on to a profitable basis and throughout those years Sir Thomas supported the company and paid its debts while four of his sons struggled to get it on an even keel.
This book describes both the discovery of the immense diamond that made the name 'Cullinan' world-famous and the long hard struggle of the family to establish a market for refractories. This once struggling industry made a net profit of R2 840 000 in 1977. It is for you to decide which is the more interesting story.' - editor's note
- Binding Condition: Very Good
- Overall Condition: Very Good
- Size: 4to.
