History Collections
The historical collections cover the British colonial period of Pietermaritzburg through to the struggle against Apartheid in KwaZulu-Natal and the rest of southern Africa. The collection includes various objects from Victorian everyday life, such as household items, death jewellery, lavish dresses and penguin suits, furniture and art. A great selection of Victorian medical equipment is also part of our collection. Other periods represented include Medieval times, the 1700s, and the Edwardian period, through Art Deco, and onward to the late 1990s. The military history of Pietermaritzburg is also captured with a selection of World Wars 1 and 2 memorabilia. Political items also form an integral part of this collection with documentation and items from pre-democratic and democratic South Africa.