Tradition l Inspiration l Innovation

The  Wits90 Treasures Exhibition samples some of the most significant objects from numerous collections held by Wits, from those which have an importance for our history and cultural identity, to those which define important moments in intellectual journeys of discovery. These objects, which we consider treasures, are part of a wider South African heritage, providing us with links across cultures and continents, across time and beyond narrow disciplinary boundaries. 

People have different ways of assigning value to objects, and the exhibition places in the same space the fossilized remains of a variety of ancient beings who walked this part of the earth at different times in the past, works of art by famous African artists, rare books and items that have special significance in the unfolding of knowledge about the world. Many pieces have particular associations with very special people, from David Livingstone to Nelson Mandela, and carry traces of the aura of those persons with them. Rather like the “wunderkammern” of 18th Century Germany, the exhibition contains objects which are curious and wondrous, including animal and insect skeletons, books with early visions of knowledge, and beautiful forms of all kinds. Some objects are unique, others are representative of types, but all have value within our culture and history broadly conceived.

Wits90 Treasures thus have no absolute intrinsic value. Their value is always constituted in relation to something, to a context, to an understanding that our views of the world are always open to question and debate. These treasures are also evidence, case studies, points of debate and at the very root of the kind of critical inquiry which happens within a University environment. Sometimes they are treasures because they represent views of the world through scientific conclusions which are incomplete or incorrect. At others they are treasures because someone has found them beautiful and preserved them for future generations.

All these treasures, and more like them, can be consulted, sometimes only by appointment, in the Wits museums, archives and collections in which they are housed. Read more about Wits’ Places and Spaces.