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see also:
- Out of Africa there is always something
new by J.A. van den Heever
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Growth of a Collection (Ethnology Collection)
by E. M.Shaw
Edwin Gill was born in England in 1877. At the age of 47 he had 25 years
experience in the natural departments of museums in England and Scotland. He was
therefore well qualified when he was appointed as Director of the South African
Museum in 1925, to take charge of a large museum and the considerable expansion
which was anticipated.
When he arrived at the Museum he was appalled at the lack of space throughout
the building, but impressed by the fine scientific work undertaken by the staff.
Despite severe financial straits, electricity was installed in 1926, and Gill
increased the display space by fifty per cent in 1930 as well as the complete
rearrangement of the Museum in the following year. Additional buildings were
erected in the grounds, and the library was enlarged.
Gill was an accomplished taxidermist, as well as a skilled palaeontological
preparator and practised his taxidermy in his own home where his sister helped
him. He introduced new ideas on display where he advocated the provision of
'habitat groups' where animals are shown against a background of their normal
environment, as well as introducing individual case lighting.
He fully understood the need for good relations with the public and
encouraged his staff to act as teachers in the Museum galleries. From time to
time he took school classes around the bird gallery and introduced the
educational service of providing travelling museum cases for the use in schools
which could not visit Cape Town.
Gill retired in 1942 at the age of 64. This was an act of self-sacrifice,
dictated in part by a desire to save the Museum the burden of paying his salary;
for he knew there could be no replacement until the Second World War had ended.
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