A historical investigation into the Sea Point beachfront as a public open space throughout the 20th century with special reference to memories of growing up along the Sea Point Promenade by Leila Emdon.
Chapter One continued
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The challenges of oral history
In Michele Paulse’s thesis An Oral History of Tramway road and Ilford Street, Sea Point she goes into the complexities involving the use of oral sources in reconstructing the past. This history makes use of the significance of memory in the construction of place so therefore it is important to have clarity on the pros and cons of using oral sources. During the mid-1970s to the 1980s, oral history became a common research methodology in South Africa, especially due to the many undocumented stories about Apartheid’s oppression.4 Oral history became an important aspect of historical research because it is the memory of a place or event that is of equal significance to the facts surrounding the topic. It is a challenge in accuracy because memory is shaped by the context and belief and attitudes of the person and may differ from that of another person. The past is re-constructed rather then recalled by memory. The person being interviewed is also aware of their own documentation while speaking about the past and this may affect memory. Memory is also constructed in how one perceives the current day situations as people are aware of what they should and should not say. This is not to say that oral sources lie but that one must be aware that in the reconstruction of the past through memory, certain things will be left out.
Given that oral history can be used to give a sense of the past but also how the past is re-constructed, I used the oral sources for the purpose of memory and how people’s memories about Sea Point affect their perception of it today. Because of the vast changes in Sea Point and the loss of the small community atmosphere it had in the past, most people look back on Sea Point with a sense of nostalgia. My sources have included people from different age groups who have grown up in Sea Point at different stages. My first source is my great aunt Sheila Vaughan. She was born in 1927 and has lived in Sea Point near to the beach her whole life. Born into a Christian family she enjoyed the youth community and a rich social life in the area. Her younger brother (my grandfather) Daniel Vaughan also contributed to my research. Another testimony was from Joe Mauerberger who has lived in Sea Point since 1926 and still plays an active role in the community. Sandra Sheinbar was born in the 1930s; she grew up in Sea Point. She too plays an active role in the issues about Sea Point and believes that Sea Point, despite its changes, is a wonderful place to live. Sonia Kirsch moved to Sea Point when she got married, and she and her husband ran a doctors surgery in the 1950s. Rosemary Magid lived all her life near to Rocklands beach. All the elderly people that I have interviewed come from different backgrounds, some are Christian by faith, and others are Jewish and so reflect diversity of beliefs in Sea Point. All have fond memories of Sea Point and still live there.
For recollections of the 1960s onwards, Stuart Kirkman contacted me via e-mail to give me his testimony. I also collected stories from family members who grew up in Sea Point such as my father Andrew Emdon as well as my brother Julian Emdon. Growing up in Sea Point myself and having a good memory of how the political changes affected Sea Point in 1994, I used my own knowledge and photographs. Other sources were members from the SEAFA committee. A major contribution was from an online forum called “Sea Point Then and Now”. A Green Point resident started the group and now over four hundred people from all over the world exchange memories from growing up in Sea Point and photographs. From here, many people contributed photographs and books.
4M, Paulse, 2002, An Oral History of Tramway Road and Ilford Street, Sea Point, 1930s-2001: The Production of Place by Race, Class and Gender, University of Cape Town thesis collection, pg 7
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