The Cosmopolitan Hotel, at the corner of Commissioner and Albrecht Streets, is one of Joburg’s most legendary buildings. Built at the turn of the 20th century, the Cosmopolitan is big and Victorian, its columned, curly-cued cupola looming high above the street. The crumbling facade is strangely magical, like something from a Tim Burton film.
Return to Lindfield, Joburg's Quirkiest Historic House
I first visited Lindfield House in early 2011, a few months after I moved to Joburg. I blogged about it then, but after visiting for a second time two weeks ago I now realize that my original post was inadequate. I can’t say enough about how amazing this place is, and the Jozi blogosphere needs a reminder.
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#TheGodProject: Holy Trinity Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church
For the last year or so, my friend Ang at JOZI.REDISCOVERED and I have been working on a blog collaboration called #TheGodProject. We visit different places of worship around Johannesburg. Ang interviews a spiritual leader (or leaders) at the place of worship, and I take photos. Then we both publish posts on our blog. In this installment of the series, we visited the Holy Trinity Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church in Bertrams, just up the road from Ponte City.
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iThemba Tower: A Recycled Tower of Art in Troyeville
I spent Saturday afternoon on a Jozi art binge, driving from Braamfontein to Maboneng to Troyeville looking at lots and lots of art. I saw tons of amazing stuff. (Side note: Don’t miss the Walter Battiss exhibition at Wits Art Museum – it’s spectacular.) But one particular art installation stood out – quite literally – from the rest: The iThemba Tower at Spaza Gallery in Troyeville.
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48 Hours in the Midlands
I recently received an invitation to spend a weekend at Brahman Hills in the Midlands. For those not from South Africa, the Midlands is a region in KwaZulu Natal Province between Durban and the Drakensberg Mountains. The Midlands used to be mostly farmland but has now become a popular tourist destination.
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How My 72-Year-Old Dad Got Arrested at a Protest Against Police Brutality
On Saturday evening my father, Tenney Mason, was in downtown Baltimore (my home city in the U.S.) attending ArtScape, a local arts festival. A group of #Afromation and #BlackLivesMatter demonstrators walked past, and Dad decided to check it out. He had his camera with him and although he’s mostly retired, Dad spent many decades as a photojournalist and newspaper editor. When he sees a news story, he follows it.