Current Exhibitions

This exhibition offers a glimpse into the extent of the Audiovisual Collection and the many ways people have chosen to document the world around them. While the focus is on photographic processes, the Audiovisual Collection spans an additional range of formats, including cinefilm strips, postcards and sound recordings.

The Audiovisual Collection is fragile and vulnerable to deterioration. Photographs in particular are prone to fading over time.
In response, we have undertaken a large-scale digitisation project to preserve these materials in their current state and to ensure continued access to the collection.

Marking 140 years since the discovery of gold on the Witwatersrand in 1886, Johannesburg @ 140 explores the remarkable growth of South Africa’s largest city. Drawn from the collections of the Brenthurst Library, the exhibition brings together photographs, artworks and maps that trace Johannesburg’s transformation from a mining camp into a vibrant urban centre. The exhibition reflects on the places and stories that have shaped the city over more than a century.