The tranition between the late Victorian and Edwardian speculative house in Johannesburg from 1890-1920

Abstract

h i s s t u d y e x a m in e s th e p a t t e r n a n d n a t u r e o f s p e c u l a t i v e h o u s in g in J o h a n n e s b u r g b etw ee n th e y e a r s 1890 t o 1920. E s s e n t i a l l y e m b ra c in g th e v a r i o u s fo rm s o f jm 11 m ass h o u s in g p r o v id e i f o r th e m i d d l e - c l a s s e s , thiree b r o a d c a t e r e r i e 5 to 'i s e ty p e s i n c l u d i n g i e t a c h e d h o u s e s - a t th e t o p e n d , th c o u g h sem i-^leL ichx-j t o t e r r a c e d h o u s e s a t th e lo w er e n d o f th e s p e c u l a t i v e m a r k e t, w i l l be i d e n t i f i e d a n d s c r u t i n i s e d . S i n c e th e tim e p e r i o d i s r e l a t i v e l y w id e f o r a s n e w ly a n e s t a b l i s h e d a n d f l o u r i s h i n g town a s J o h a n n e s b u r g - ( t h e c e n t r e o f a t t r a c t i o n f o r th e w o r l d ' s g o l d p r o d u c t i o n a t th e t i m e ) , a n d c o v e r s th e S o u th A f r i c a n War, th e e f f e c t o f th e r e s u l t i n g f l u c t u a t i n g s o c i a l a n d p o l i t i c a l c i r c u m s t a n c e s , w h ich w ere t o inex i t a b l y i n t e r r u p t a n d a l t e r th e c o u r s e o f s p e c u l a t i v e p r a c t i c e in th e r e g i o n , w i l l be e x a m in e d . The i n t e n t i o n tiure i s t o imp t ie p r e f e r e n c e in d o m e s tic h a b i t b e f o r e tn e 1899-1901 w ar, a n d to e x p l o r e th e new a n d im posed c h a n g e s w ro u g h t upon th e s p e c u l a t i v e house t h e r e a f t e r .