The Secret Ruins of the Johannesburg Gas Works
Several months ago, Thorsten and I took a walk through the old Johannesburg Gas Works. Our visit happened spontaneously and we definitely shouldn’t have done it. Most of the Gas Works has been abandoned since gas production terminated 30 years ago, and the...
Hidden Joburg: The Lions Shul
Yesterday I visited the Doornfontein Shul — commonly known as the Lions Shul — in downtown Joburg. The shul, built in 1905, is featured in Hidden Johannesburg, which I blogged about recently in my post about the Lemon Squeezer Church. I’m pleased to...
Why I Became a Member of the Rand Club
I’ve been visiting the Rand Club, one of Joburg’s most historic buildings, for years. The Rand Club is on the corner of Fox and Loveday Streets in downtown Joburg. Although the club was founded in 1887, the current clubhouse was built in 1904. Read an...
Andrew Lindsay, Joburg’s Mosaic Master
I recently participated in a public art bus tour hosted by the City of Johannesburg, honoring the legacy of Andrew (Drew) Lindsay. Drew died of a heart attack in October 2021 while sitting in his garden outside the Spaza Art Gallery in Troyeville. He was 65. If...
Return to Jeppestown’s City Hall
Almost ten years ago, I did an exhibition of photos I shot in Maboneng and Jeppestown, two adjacent neighborhoods in downtown Joburg. I had nearly forgotten about this exhibition (which you can read about here). But then a week ago I received an Instagram message from...
Heather Mason
I’m an American writer/blogger/photographer living a quirky life in Johannesburg. Follow along as I explore Johannesburg, South Africa, and the rest of the world.
