Johannesburg Then and Now — 1954 vs 2014 was brought into being by Travelstart’s video producer Liam Kelly, who enlisted the help of Lucid Films’ Richard Sherman.
Kelly said his team first had the idea after seeing a London then-and-now video in January.
“It really struck a chord, and we looked to see if there was a similar video on Cape Town,” he said.
“When we realised there wasn’t, [I] got straight to work. Since then, we have created Joburg and Durban versions as well.”
Kelly said the old footage used in the video was sourced from an archival company.
“The response has been fantastic across the board. The video quickly reached 10 000 organic views on YouTube, and received numerous comments on social media and the blog post itself,” he said.
“It was great to read comments, such as [one from] Elizabeth du Rand who said, ‘Such memories. The Chamber of Mines building in Hollard Street was where I started work in 1953. I remember the entrance so well.'”
Joburg born-and-bred Sherman said while working on the video, he was struck by how the city had “survived, rather than just stayed the same”.
“There has been a lot of development, but some of the old buildings are still standing, and are seen as valuable for their charm and character today,” he said.
“The incessant jaywalking, so characteristic of Joburg, was happening back then too. I always assumed it was a more recent trend.”
He added that he was amazed at how the hustle and bustle of the city had continued for so long, despite a shift away from mining.
“It was abuzz then, and it is still now. What’s striking is not just that it actually hasn’t changed much, but that it’s still going,” said Sherman.
“It seems to have outlived a lot — wars, regime changes, economic changes, droughts and occasional snow. It’s a tough city.”
Details: www.travelstart.co.za
Watch the Johannesburg Then and Now 1954 vs 2014 video:
https://youtu.be/dH-JR9p6iBI
Watch the Cape Town video:
Watch the Durban video:
Click here to watch the London video.
