Best of South Africa collection

: "We won't move!", Sophiatown in defence, 1955; In 1954 the apartheid government was determined to demolish Sophiatown, the multi-racial suburb of Johannesburg. The African National Congress (ANC), encouraged by Mandela, campaigned vigorously to resist, pictured here saying, "We won't move!", Sophiatown, 1955. When the police arrived that first day, people banged and tapped with stones and iron bars against the lamp-posts and Sophiatown echoed in defiance.

: Apartheid fence, Johannesburg, 1953; Apartheid: a fence divides black people from white people at the races, Johannesburg, 1953.

: Benni 'Banjo' Mrwebi, Johannesburg, 1953; Benni Banjo, also known as 'Gwigwi', was a multi-talented clarinet and alto saxophone player, band-leader, showman and clown. Gwigwi was leader of the Harlem Swingsters in the 1950s. Johannesburg, 1953.

: Bicycle balance, Sophiatown, 1955; Balancing act, Sophiatown, 1955. Writers, musicians, politicians and journalists lived side-by-side with gangsters, shebeen queens, and Sophia bohemians, like the one pictured here.

: Cliff Richard concert, 1960; Pop fans looking up to their idol, Cliff Richard, during his visit to South Africa, 1960.

: Cow and trombone, Alexandra township, 1951; Alexandra, a township north of Johannesburg, was surrounded by open country and farms where cows were often entertained by lonely brass band players rehearsing a tune. Alexandra township, 1951.

: Dance hall, Sophiatown, 1952; There were dance halls throughout South Africa, from Orlando to Mamelodi, and to Sophiatown. The stages were often improvised and there was real sound, without microphones and amplifiers. Sophiatown, 1952.

: Dance on the piano, Johannesburg, 1952; South Africans such as Lena Horn, Satchmo, The American Inkspots and The Mills Brothers adapted entertainment ideas from Harlem and New Orleans, adding their own unique African flavour. Johannesburg, 1952

: Dancing at the Ritz, Johannesburg, 1952; The Ritz, downtown Johannesburg, was the place to go for a jive come Friday night. The Johannesburg townships expressed all the vigour and optimism of the new post-war generation with exuberant music and dance, before the full oppression of apartheid closed in on them. Johannesburg, 1952.

: Defiance Campaign meeting, Johannesburg, 1952; Defiance Campaign meeting at Freedom Square, Fordsburg, Johannesburg, 6 April, 1952.

: Ditch-workers, Johannesburg, 1951; Ditch-workers in Johannesburg, pounding rhythmically and singing, 1951.

: Dolly Rathebe, Johannesburg, 1955; Dolly Rathebe, Blues queen and film star, Johannesburg, 1955.

: Edmund 'Ntemi' Piliso, Johannesburg, 1952; Ntemi Piliso, a major force on the local music scene in the fifties, formed his own hot-and-happening Alexandra All-Star Band. Johannesburg, 1952.

: Learning the Cuckoo call, Sophiatown, 1953; Learning the Cuckoo call, Sophiatown, 1953.

: Lemmy Mabaso and The Pennywhistlers, Johannesburg, 1954; Lemmy 'Special' Mabaso and his three brothers entertaining city dwellers, Johannesburg, 1954. Throughout the city there were sounds of pennywhistlers and guitars and the pennies rained onto the pavement.

: Lighting up, Johannesburg, 1953; Lighting up a cigarette, Johannesburg, 1953.

: Mandela in law office, Johannesburg, 1952; The only record of Nelson Mandela in his law office, which he shared with Oliver Tambo, Johannesburg, 1952.

: Mandela with Ruth First, ANC conference, 1951; Nelson Mandela, at the annual African National Congress (ANC) conference in Bloemfontein, where the Defiance Campaign was conceived and planned, 1951.

: Miriam Makeba, Johannesburg, 1955; Miriam Makeba posing for a cover photograph in a recording studio in downtown Johannesburg, 1955. One of the leading songbirds of the 1950s, she left South Africa in the early sixties with the jazz opera, King Kong, and then moved to the USA (United States of America), where she was an instant hit. Makeba returned to her home country in 1994.

: Model with umbrella, 1953; Model with an umbrella during a photo shoot for Drum magazine, 1953.

: Nelson Mandela, Treason Trial, Pretoria, 1958; On 13 October 1958, Moses Kotane and Nelson Mandela leave the Pretoria Court beaming with joy as the Crown had withdrawn their treason charges. However, on 19 January 1959, Nelson Mandela and 29 others were put on trial again, only to be found not-guilty two years later.

: Orlando township, 1951; Makeshift houses in Orlando squatter camp, outside Johannesburg, 1951.

: Orlando township, 1951; Makeshift houses in Orlando squatter camp, outside Johannesburg, 1951.

: Practising with a punching bag in Sophiatown, 1953; A man hones his boxing skills using a punching bag, Sophiatown, 1953.

: Priscilla Mtimkulu, Johannesburg, 1952; Priscillia Mtimkulu, making herself up during a photo shoot. Described by Can Themba as, "sweet and twenty...this lovely has fluttered in from Orlando East like a butterfly...you can see her eyes, soft, dreamy, sadly sweet...and her hair, wavy wisps of black silkiness."

: Ruth Molefi, model and singer, 1955; Model and singer, Ruth Molefi, described by Todd Matshikiza as, "A cute, fashion-conscious, little dame, sizzling with appeal." Johannesburg, 1955.

: Smoke break, Drum magazine, 1952; Taking a smoke-break during a shoot for Drum magazine, 1952.

: Sol Rachilo, Johannesburg, 1958; Sol Rachilo, actor and entrepreneur, posing for a promotional pamphlet for Drum, the first magazine in South Africa that featured black cover-girls. Johannesburg, 1958.

: Sophiatown demolished, 1959; A woman and her child walk over rubble left behind after the Sophiatown removals, 1959.

: Tattersalls betting shop, Johannesburg, 1959; Many betting shops were to be found in old Johannesburg. Horse-racing was one of the oldest established sports in the city. 1959.

: The Black Sash, Johannesburg City Hall, 1957; Standing for human rights, outside the City Hall, Johannesburg, 1957. The Black Sash, an organisation of women against apartheid laws, demostrated, often on a daily basis, in front of Johannesburg City Hall.

: The Durban July, 1960; The annual Durban July horse race was the highlight of the social calendar, Durban, 1960.

: The Gay Gaieties, Orlando township, 1952; The Gay Gaieties came from Orlando and danced and sang in the music and dance halls along the Reef, all five loved by all. Orlando, 1952.

: The Jazzolomos, Sophiatown, 1953; "We three the Jazz dizzlers be..." The popular Jazzolomos rocked the Reef in the fifties. Band members were from left: Jacob 'Mzala' Lepers (bass), Sol 'Beegeepee' Klaaste (piano) and Benni 'Gwigwi' Mrwebi (alto saxophone). Sophiatown, 1953.

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