St. Mary's Roman Catholic Cathedral in Cape Town is more formally known as the Cathedral Church of Our Lady of the Flight into Egypt.

The story of the cathedral, the seat of the Metropolitan Archbishop of Cape Town, is closely associated with the history and development of the Roman Catholic Church in Southern Africa, which occurred over a period of more than 175 years. Affectionately known by many as St Mary’s Cathedral, it is the oldest Catholic Cathedral in South Africa. 

The local bishop bought the land in 1839 and the first stone was laid two years later. Build in the Gothic Revival style design of Otto Hagger, the building was consecrated on April 28, 1851. A tower was added in 1926 and the sanctuary was remodeled in 1947. The latest restoration was done in 1997.

The Cathedral is situated in the heart of the City of Cape Town, directly opposite the South African Parliament and at the meeting point of an important thoroughfare linking Cape Town to its outlying suburbs. The Cathedral also occupies a central position as the ‘Mother Church’ both of the Archdiocese and of the rest of South Africa.

​For more images of Early Cape Town, take a look in the gallery.
All works are available as high quality prints on non-archival paper or on stretched canvas.

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It's my great pleasure to participate in this wonderful exhibition which is being hosted by the Botanical Artists' Association of South Africa (BAASA). Gill Condy and her team have done a fantastic job in bringing the exhibition together which involves 82 botanical artists from all over South Africa. If this weren't enough, there has been a worldwide collaboration involving 25 countries, also holding exhibitions and events centred around World Botanical Art Day which was on Friday 18 May. It is truly amazing to see the way in which all these different countries and cultures have come together to link people with plants through botanical art. All credit to everyone involved in Botanical Art Worldwide!

And here's an extract from the Everard Read Gallery's catalogue of the exhibition. You can also view the online catalogue.

The Gardens Shul, the Cape Town Hebrew Congregation, was established 1841 and is the oldest congregation in South Africa. Built in 1862 the structure may be the oldest synagogue building in the country. Situated in Paddock Avenue in the Gardens area of central Cape Town, the building has the appearance of a temple with a stone frontage comprising a heavy colonnade of Egyptian-style columns which bear an unusual combination of decorative Greek and Egyptian motifs.

Today the building forms the entrance to the Jewish Museum. In 1941 the centenary year of the Cape Town Hebrew Congregation, a society to establish a Jewish Museum and Archives was founded in Cape Town. Its main object was to collect and preserve articles and documents, illustrating the history of the Jewish community in South Africa, but the project made slow progress, and it was not until August 1958 that the museum was opened officially.

For more images of Early Cape Town, take a look in the gallery.
All works are available as high quality prints on non-archival paper or on stretched canvas.

​Place your order
by phone on +27 79 247 7532
by email to gutmansolly@gmail.com
or inbox me on facebook: Solly Gutman Scratchboard Art

​There is usually a 7 day turnaround time.
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