Book contents
- African Literature in Transition
- African Literature in Transition
- African Literature in Transition
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Figures
- Tables
- Contributors
- Introduction
- Part I Producing Print
- Chapter 1 The Press at Work
- Chapter 2 Expansive Languages in Nineteenth-Century Central Africa
- Chapter 3 Print Cultures and Printing Diasporas
- Chapter 4 George McCall Theal’s Urge to Publish and His Collaborative Printing Process, 1862–1882
- Chapter 5 A Tale of Two Print Cultures
- Chapter 6 Still Images, Moving Images
- Part II Readers and Audiences
- Part III New Genres
- Part IV Worlds of Print
- Index
- References
Chapter 4 - George McCall Theal’s Urge to Publish and His Collaborative Printing Process, 1862–1882
from Part I - Producing Print
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 23 October 2025
By
Book contents
- African Literature in Transition
- African Literature in Transition
- African Literature in Transition
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Figures
- Tables
- Contributors
- Introduction
- Part I Producing Print
- Chapter 1 The Press at Work
- Chapter 2 Expansive Languages in Nineteenth-Century Central Africa
- Chapter 3 Print Cultures and Printing Diasporas
- Chapter 4 George McCall Theal’s Urge to Publish and His Collaborative Printing Process, 1862–1882
- Chapter 5 A Tale of Two Print Cultures
- Chapter 6 Still Images, Moving Images
- Part II Readers and Audiences
- Part III New Genres
- Part IV Worlds of Print
- Index
- References
Summary
George McCall Theal’s early career in an emergent South African print industry was fragmented, contradictory and ambiguous. Reflecting the volatility of his environment, he strategically shifted careers, voices and readerships. This period in Theal’s career reveals a profound instability that induced the young migrant to occupy a variety of public spaces and to immerse himself in a range of writing and print endeavours. Obscured by his later racist ideologies, Theal’s initial success is based partly on his collaboration with and reliance on African sources for his first major international publication on Xhosa folklore and ethnography. This chapter is primarily concerned with the significance of this collaborative process for Theal’s career and for early print culture in South Africa. Theal’s urge to publish resulted in a mode of writing and publishing that was undeniably ground-breaking, and as history would show, devastating, in its inscription of a racist ideology.
Information
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- African Literature in TransitionPrint Cultures and African Literature, 1860–1960, pp. 94 - 111Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2025
References
Apthorpe, E. (1911). ‘South African literary portraits VII Dr Theal’. South African Bookman, 3 June 1911.Google Scholar
Barber, K. (2007). The Anthropology of Texts, Persons and Publics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brookes, E. H. (1924). The History of Native Policy in South Africa from 1830 to the Present Day. Cape Town: Nasionale Pers.Google Scholar
Cobbing, J. (1988). The Mfecane as alibi: thoughts on Dithakong and Mbolompo. The Journal of African History 29 (3), 487–519.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Denfield, J. (1965). Notes on some lost border newspapers. Quarterly Bulletin of the South African Library 19, 74–9.Google Scholar
Immelman, R. F. M. (1964). George McCall Theal: A Biographical Sketch. Cape Town: C. Struik.Google Scholar
Mostert, N. (1992). Frontiers: The Epic of South Africa’s Creation and the Tragedy of the Xhosa. New York: Alfred A Knopf.Google Scholar
Opland, J. (1986). ‘Transition from oral to written in Xhosa’. In Sienaert, W. R. and Sienaert, E., eds., Oral Tradition and Literacy. Durban: Natal University Oral Documentation and Research Center, pp. 135–50.Google Scholar
Peires, J. B. (1989). The Dead Will Arise: Nongqawuse and the Great Xhosa Cattle-Killing Movement of 1856–7. Johannesburg: Ravan Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Saunders, C. (1981a). The making of an historian: the early years of George McCall Theal. South African Historical Journal 13 (1), 3–11.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Saunders, C. (1981b). George McCall Theal and Lovedale. History in Africa 8, 155–64.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Saunders, C. (1988). The Making of the South African Past: Major Historians on Race and Class. Cape Town: David Philip.Google Scholar
Schreuder, D. M. (1986). The imperial historian as ‘colonial nationalist’: George McCall Theal and the making of South African history. In Gordon, M., ed., Studies in British Imperial History. London: Macmillan, pp. 95–158.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Shepherd, R. H. W. (1971). Lovedale South Africa 1824–1955. Alice: Lovedale Missionary Press.Google Scholar
Theal, G. M. (1874; 1876; 1877). Compendium of South African History and Geography. Alice: Lovedale Institution Press.Google Scholar
Theal, G. M. (1882b). Chronicles of the Cape Commanders. Cape Town: WA Richards and Sons.Google Scholar
Theal, G. M. (1887). History of the Boers in South Africa. London: W Swan Sonnenschein and Co.Google Scholar
Theal, G. M. (1888–1900). History of South Africa in Five Volumes. London: W Swan Sonnenschein and Co.Google Scholar
Theal, G. M. (1907). The History and Ethnography of South Africa. London: W Swan Sonnenschein and Co.Google Scholar
Van Der Merwe, P. J. (1938). Die Trekboer in the Geskiedenis van die Kaapkolonie 1657–1842. Beperk: Nasionale Pers.Google Scholar
Accessibility standard: Inaccessible, or known limited accessibility
Why this information is here
This section outlines the accessibility features of this content - including support for screen readers, full keyboard navigation and high-contrast display options. This may not be relevant for you.Accessibility Information
The HTML of this chapter is known to have missing or limited accessibility features.
We may be reviewing its accessibility for future improvement, but final compliance is
not yet assured and may be subject to legal exceptions. If you have any questions,
please contact
accessibility@cambridge.org.
Content Navigation
Table of contents navigation
Allows you to navigate directly to chapters, sections, or non‐text items through a linked table of contents, reducing the need for extensive scrolling.
Allows you to navigate directly to chapters, sections, or non‐text items through a linked table of contents, reducing the need for extensive scrolling.
Index navigation
Provides an interactive index, letting you go straight to where a term or subject appears in the text without manual searching.
Provides an interactive index, letting you go straight to where a term or subject appears in the text without manual searching.
Reading Order & Textual Equivalents
Single logical reading order
You will encounter all content (including footnotes, captions, etc.) in a clear, sequential flow, making it easier to follow with assistive tools like screen readers.
You will encounter all content (including footnotes, captions, etc.) in a clear, sequential flow, making it easier to follow with assistive tools like screen readers.
Short alternative textual descriptions
You get concise descriptions (for images, charts, or media clips), ensuring you do not miss crucial information when visual or audio elements are not accessible.
You get concise descriptions (for images, charts, or media clips), ensuring you do not miss crucial information when visual or audio elements are not accessible.
Full alternative textual descriptions
You get more than just short alt text: you have comprehensive text equivalents, transcripts, captions, or audio descriptions for substantial non‐text content, which is especially helpful for complex visuals or multimedia.
You get more than just short alt text: you have comprehensive text equivalents, transcripts, captions, or audio descriptions for substantial non‐text content, which is especially helpful for complex visuals or multimedia.
Visual Accessibility
Use of colour is not sole means of conveying information
You will still understand key ideas or prompts without relying solely on colour, which is especially helpful if you have colour vision deficiencies.
You will still understand key ideas or prompts without relying solely on colour, which is especially helpful if you have colour vision deficiencies.
Use of high contrast between text and background colour
You benefit from high‐contrast text, which improves legibility if you have low vision or if you are reading in less‐than‐ideal lighting conditions.
You benefit from high‐contrast text, which improves legibility if you have low vision or if you are reading in less‐than‐ideal lighting conditions.