Hugh Exton Photographic Museum - Polokwane, Limpopo

The Hugh Exton Photographic Museum is located in Polokwane, Limpopo, and is dedicated to the work of Hugh Exton, a prolific photographer who captured the life and times of Polokwane (formerly Pietersburg) and its surrounding areas during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The museum is housed in a former Dutch Reformed Church building, a beautiful historical structure built in the 1890s, adding to the museum’s cultural significance.

One the the things that makes this exhibition so unique is that it begins just about when the town is established in the 1890s and goes on for the next 50 years. And even more fascinating is the fact that it is based entirely on the work of one photographer, Hugh Exton, a man who lived to become 91 years old.

The Dutch Reformed church which is right in the civic centre and has been restored after having been used as a shop for years. The museum has over 23 000 negatives which are printed on glass, stacked in cabinets and presently being identified and classified. There are also some of Extons appointment books, recording minutely every shot he took, its cost and the subject. When this was auctioned off, it was first sent to the National Archives in Pretoria but has now been returned to Polokwane (previously Pietersburg). The exhibitions cover a variety of topics such as, the birth and development of Polokwane, architecture, industries, clothing, trade and famous town residents.

What was unique about Exton, especially for the country he lived in and time he lived, was that he photographed everybody - whites and blacks, Afrikaners and Jews, hunters, migrant labourers off to the mines, proud families of all races. He could often be seen on the streets of his beloved town, photographing everything in it. A visit to the Hugh Exton Photographic Museum gives a clear picture of what the town looked like during its first fifty years, because Exton also recorded historical events, including the opening of the railhead, a visit by General Louis Botha and the office of the local newspaper.

The museum's collection is an invaluable resource for historians, photography enthusiasts, and anyone interested in the social history of the region, with exhibitions often emphasizing early 20th-century life in Limpopo.

Contact details for the Hugh Exton Photographic Museum:
Phone: +27 15 290 2182 (Polokwane Museums)
Address: 119 Suid St, Polokwane, 0700, Limpopo, South Africa

The Hugh Exton Photographic Museum in Polokwane is a must-visit for those interested in historical photography and the rich cultural tapestry of Limpopo's past.