Prelims xiii + 629 pages. 

This copy off Johannesburg Street Names is one of the scarce editions bound in red leather / leatherette. It has gilt titling to the front cover and on the spine. The spine titling gilt is lightly faded. 

The dust jacket is in good condition except for a small tear at the hinge between the front cover and the top of the inner flap. There is mild edge wear at the top of the spine. The dust jacket has been protected by thick plastic. The name of the previous owner is written at the top of the inside cover.

A comprehensive study on the origins of Johannesburg place-names up to the end of 1968 as found in streets, suburbs, parks and other public places. The alphabetic lists includes references to sources and an appendix is included which lists selections under such headings as animals, Johannesburg, worthies, rivers and places. Each letter of the alphabet has a page dedicated to it with an accompanying decoration which has been redrawn by L Vogel from photographs. The dust jacket is based on a map by AE Caplen.

The author, Anna Smith. was the daughter of Johannes J. Smith (1883-1949), a prominent academic at the University of Stellenbosch. Her father was a philologist and compiled the first authoritative Afrikaans dictionary in 1926.

Smith joined the Johannesburg Public Library in 1938 rising in the hierarchy until, in 1960, she became City Librarian and Director of the Africana Museum. In recommending her for the position, her predessesor, R.F. Kennedy had feared that the Johannesburg city councillors might have preferred a mediocre male to a brilliant woman. Fortunately, they appointed the latter. She was the first woman to head a Council Department in Johannesburg. During Smiths tenure, in 1974, the main Johannesburg Public Library opened its doors to Black and Coloured readers. Her belief, and that of the city council at the time, was that the library should be inclusive of all citizens and available to them. Smith's philosophy was to encourage literacy and a love of books as well as an appreciation of reliable information.

A Johannesburg City Heritage Blue Plaque honouring Anna H. Smith, the city’s first woman to head a municipal department and a dedicated City Librarian, was unveiled in August 2025 when Johannesburg Libraries reopened after extensive renovations. This Plaque highlights Johannesburg Street Names specifically as remaining an "indispensable reference source"

Source: https://www.theheritageportal.co.za/article/anna-h-smith-city-librarian-johannesburg-public-library-1960-1975