Research Areas
History Research
Much of the research conducted by the History Department is collections-based, drawing on the strengths available in our displays storerooms. This includes, but is not limited to, the narratives of the town and the surrounding area, Eastern Cape missionary endeavours, the German Settlers (1857-1877) and local struggle history which remains an ongoing interest of the section.
The museum is a very popular genealogical resource centre and answer enquiries using our 300 000 strong biographical database developed over many years. Apart from individual genealogical enquiries, we have also assisted local group claimants with their restitution claims. This also informed research conducted by the historian, Dr. Stephanie Victor, on pre-apartheid housing in the Qonce (formerly King William’s Town) which formed part of her Masters’ dissertation.
Library
It specializes mainly in anthropology, local and missionary history, and mammalogy. The collection is computerized on an Inmagic DB Text database.
The collection includes the Kitton Collection of rare Africana books, which the Archdeacon Henry Kitton bequeathed to the people of King William’s Town in 1891. The latter covers a wide variety of subjects, such as, religion, history, botany, zoology, African languages and biographies especially of Cecil John Rhodes. The oldest book in the collection is Thomas Fuller’s The Holy State published in 1642.
Our library is not a lending library. Material is not loaned out, although it can be accessed via interlibrary loan. Staff members, scholars and researchers from other institutions, the latter by appointment only, utilize the library for research purposes. It is open on weekdays during working hours (9H00-16H00) and closed on weekends. Control of the use of the collection is strict and no books are allowed to leave the Kitton Reading Room, a rule that also applies to staff members.
Anthropology Research
The museum’s Anthropology section conducts research on a variety of topics ranging from Xhosa history and traditional healing to indigenous or local knowledge and the use of medicinal plants.
Â