A Textual Meander through Items of Ecological Interest at Quagga Rare Books and Art

Abstract

This article considers various ecological issues sourced from numerous books, artworks, and ephemera at a Cape Town bookshop named Quagga Rare Books and Art. Written by an employee, something of the shop’s atmosphere and the experience of working with the stock and of customer interaction is portrayed as well. Human engagement with the environment over the millennia is the central theme, with emphasis placed on recent exploding awareness of the destructive elements of this human interaction; the inaccuracy of some of the environmental degradation or declensionist narratives; and our remedial strategies, both effective and flawed. Other aspects of our engagement are explored as well, such as the vast body of ecological knowledge built up by indigenous peoples and travellers alike, our hunting and mining activities, and childhood entrancement with the natural world. The reader is also alerted to the advantages and disadvantages of reading older publications.

Keywords:

• degradation narratives
• Bushman art
• botanical engravings
• folklore
• bookshops