MuseuMAfricA

MuseuMAfricA Review

Founded in 1935, this was the first major museum to acknowledge black contributions to the city's development. The museum houses geological specimens, paintings, and photographs relating to South Africa's complex history. You can step into a re-creation of a 1950s shebeen or view the ever-changing exhibits of pottery, photography, and other arts and crafts. Seven permanent displays include a look at the history of gold mining in Johannesburg and a journey through the history of South African music, such as township jazz, kwela (pennywhistle street music), and mbaqanga, a form of driving township pop-jazz. Another display illustrates the life of Mahatma Gandhi, who once lived in Jo'burg. Upstairs, the Bensusan Museum examines the art, development, and technology of photography with fun, hands-on exhibits.