Central and Southern African Tribal Art

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Joan Broster

Joan A. Clarke - Joan Cremer

Joan Alathea Broster (neé Clarke), was the daughter of James and Beatrice Clarke and a fourth generation Transkeian. She was born in 1916 at Engcobo in the former Transkei. Her great grandfather John Williams Clarke arrived in South Africa at the age of 12, with the 1820 Settlers. John Williams, his sons, their sons and Joan, all became Transkei Traders.

                         Broughton Broster                                  Joan Broster                                   Dr. van Warmelo

Joan Broster spent her early life in the family home at Engcobo. In 1935 she graduated from the Diocesan School for Girls (DSG)  in Grahamstown, and in 1938 received her BSc from Rhodes University. When war broke out she joined the war effort and serving as a military nurse with the South African Military Nursing Service. After the war she joined the staff at the University of Fort Hare and shortly thereafter, met her first husband Broughton Broster. In 1951 they started a trading station amongst the Thembu clan at Qebe, where they lived for 16 years. Joan also assisted in the clinic at Qebe, which had started as a food distribution depot. Broughton became the Town Clerk of Engcobo, the small town of Joan's birth.

Above, a Transkei map showing the locations of Thembu, Mfengu, Gcaleka, Ngqika, Bomvane, Mpondo, Mpondomise, Sotho, Hlubi, Bhaca and Xesibe - Xhosa related clans.

Qebe Trading Station - Transkei

During the years at Qebe, Joan developed a keen interest in beadwork. She started to collect, which led to an exhibition at the East London Museum. She befriended Dr. Nicolaas Jacobus van Warmelo, the Head of Museums - South Africa. He encouraged her to document her collection which she agreed to. Once completed, portions of the 1300 piece collection were shown at three universities and four museums. Events took place in East London, Grahamstown, Port Elizabeth, Stellenbosch and Johannesburg. Included were traditionally clad models of all age groups, male and female, as well as an Amagqirha  'traditional healer' with her assistant.

Transkei Independence 1977 - Transkei Heritage - Pg 435

From collecting to choreographing the collection, Joan naturally began to write. Her first book was published in 1967 and entitled Red Blanket Valley. Arthur Rowland of the Natal Daily News provided the photography of  Thembu people living in her region. The second book named African Elegance was published in 1974. It included photography by Alice Mertens of Stellenbosch University. In 1976 a third book named The Thembu - Their Beadwork Songs and Dances further detailed the Qwathi clan, who lived nearby Joan. A forth book Amagqirha was released in 1981. It provided an in-depth account of Transkei's traditional healers. Joan traveled with photographer Herbert Bourne all over the region.

Over time Joan became well known for her extensive knowledge and collections of traditional Thembu and Xhosa related dress. At one point her Thembu collection exceeded 6000 pieces, some of which was stored at the University of Fort Hare in Alice. Three collections were sold, 'not two as commonly reported'.  Her circa 1960 show of figures shown at the University of Stellenbosch was sold to the Rand Afrikaans Museum in Johannesburg. A collection consisting of Tembu, Gcaleka, Fingo, Mpondo, Mpondomise, Bomvana and Xesibe beadwork once displayed at the old Umtata Post Office Museum, disappeared for some years to Port St. Johns. It apparently resurfaced at the University of Transkei, now the Walter Sisulu University for Technology and Science. We contacted the professor in charge who confirmed this, but to this day have consistently failed in our attempts to visit. A third collection was sold to South Africans Lionel and Mariam Finneran. This was exported to the United States and sold it off in pieces. Some of the material found its way into US museums and public art gallery collections. Included were Detroit Institute of Arts, Harn Museum, Metropolitan Art Gallery, Newark Museum, North Carolina Museum of Art and others. As a result of Joan Broster's quest, a significant part of Thembu and Xhosa cultures, traditions, medicines, their customs, dress and lifestyle will not be forgotten.

You may like to click the following book links to view pages from her various books.

Red Blanket Valley         African Elegance         The Thembu - Their Beadwork Songs and Dances         Amagqirha

Joan Broster with members of the Qwathi clan. Photograph by Barbara Tyrrell

The picture above and those that follow have not been published before. They were taken at Joan Broster's Trading Store at Qebe by artist and friend Barbara Tyrrell. The older women whom Joan is tending to above (and below) was Joan's cook, whose Christian name was Rose. Most of the people that were photographed were known to and cared about by Joan. She had an interest in the people and their wellbeing and did not view them as ‘models’ for ethnographic interest. Portions of Joan's collection were indeed added with amazing effect, however great care was taken to stay true to the traditional way pieces were worn.

Rose -  by Barbara Tyrrell - Circa 1960

Barbara Tyrrell's van parked nearby Joan Broster's Trading Store - Circa 1960

Teenage festive attire of the Thembu Qwathi clan. Photographed by Barbara Tyrrell.

An adult male (above left) and teen boy (above right) of the Qwathi clan - by Barbara Tyrrell

Adult males beaded attire. Photographs by Barbara Tyrrell.

Joan Broster with admirers. Photograph by Barbara Tyrrell.

                          Thembu children of the Qwathi clan.                       Traditional Thembu healer of the Qwathi clan.

Three cheers for the Qwathi clan at Qebe!

Artist Barbara Tyrrell spent many happy times camped at Joan Broster's Trading Store. The two had common interests in the material culture of the Southern Africa people. Both women set out to document beadwork and gain knowledge of its use and function. They collected beadwork, met often and shared knowledge. Barbara and Joan were prolific authors of the Tribal Peoples of Southern Africa and in fact, one of Barbara's many books was entitled with the name.

                           Tribal Peoples of Southern Africa                               Barbara Tyrrell - Her African Quest

Joan Broster's fifth and final book Transkei Heritage was written over a 25 year period and was concluded just prior to her death (at 93) in 2009. It recorded the history and contributions made by Transkei pioneers, missionaries, magistrates and traders. Joan began research for this book in 1984, before her husband Broughton's death in Gonubie. In 1996 she and her second husband Laurie Cremer,  retired to Port Alfred where they lived at Settlers Park Retirement Village. People continued to visit Joan, many the sons and daughters of traders who wanted to help with research. Joan was also assisted by her niece Lyn Clarke, Jean Andrew who initially wrote out the book in longhand and Meryl Bodill who typed the original manuscript. In 2005 Gallery Ezakwantu visited Joan Broster. Thereafter, unsuccessful attempts were made to have the Killie Campbell Africana Library and / or The Brenthurst Library sponsor its publication. Eventually Joan met Patricia Bailes at Settlers Park, who decided to collate, digitalize and publish the book herself, in close collaboration with Joan.

                                    Lucy M. Wiles - 1918 / 2008 - Pondo Women                                    Transkei Heritage - Joan A. Broster

The cover of Transkei Heritage was graciously painted by well known artist Lucy M. Wiles, neé Lucy Mullins, who also lived at Settlers Park Retirement Village. It came to be that the cover work would be Lucy's last artwork. (1918-2008)

Kristofer Karner and Joan Broster at Settlers Park Village - 2005

Ken Karner (Gallery Ezakwantu) - Dr. Theo Moody (Collector) and Joan Broster - 2005

Watercolors by Barbara Tyrrell owned by Joan Broster

Watercolors by Barbara Tyrrell on display in Joan Broster's home. 

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Mrs. Fred Clarke

neé Ethel Goss  -  Trader

Mrs. Fred Clarke was a trader and the wife of Joan Broster's uncle Fred. Born Ethel Goss, she lived in Pondoland at Gosshill. Regionally she was heralded as the 'white Pondo', as she spent years recording the life and customs of the Pondo peoples. She was also a dear friend of Barbara Tyrrell.

Ethel mastered the art of developing film taken on her Brownie camera. She used her skill extensively to record aspects of Pondo life. Nobody had become as close to the Pondo as had she. It was and remains unheard of for a woman to be allowed into the workings of the male Abakwetha circumcision camps.

 NATIVE LIFE :  IN Western Pondoland  BY MRS. FRED CLARKE

As a result of her photography and research, Ethel designed and marketed albums - which she handmade into book form. These were hardbound with covers inscribed : NATIVE LIFE :  IN  Western Pondoland - BY MRS. FRED CLARKE.  Barbara Tyrrell advised that up to 6 albums were produced, which she found on offer at the trading store.

Mignon Herring - Killie Campbell - Daphne Stutt

During the 1940's, Killie Campbell purchased two of the albums to add to her extensive Africana Library. Killie gave one of the two to her dear friend Barbara Tyrrell. At the time, Killie engaged Barbara extensively to draw, paint and record South Africa's tribal people.

Some 60 years later, Barbara Tyrrell gave her album to Ken Karner. Inside the front cover is written:

From Killie Campbell in the 1940's - to me - and now to Ken 16.6.02 - Mrs. Fred Clarke and "Gosshill" where I camped many happy times in my first caravan year. - Mrs. Clarke a wonderful 'white' Pondo linguist and friend of the Pondo people.  Barbara Tyrrell

Little doubt, the 'Mrs. Fred Clarke' album is both culturally and historically priceless.

This example has thirty-seven hard board pages interspaced with tissue paper containing 455 photographs. Two data sheets and 5 essays or short stories were inserted. Precious 'otherwise lost' information was handwritten below each photograph, detailing aspects of Pondo life and culture. Topical sections include:

Needless to say, the wealth of information is formidable. Here follows an example...

Did you know.............?

Barbara Tyrrell's friendship and camping spot at Gosshill predates that of Joan Brosters by over a decade. Regardless, these three women knew each other and shared a common admiration for the tribal peoples of Southern Africa. They dedicated their lives to understanding and recording the workings, meanings and makings of Southern African material culture. Three cheers to Joan Broster - Barbara Tyrrell - Ethel Clarke and Killie Campbell who led stunning life's that overflowed with achievement!

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