Bob Gosani

1957 - Nelson Mandela with champion Jerry Moloi during the Treason Trial. Mandela used to spar after sitting in the dock all day, for relaxation and recreation. (Photograph by Bob Gosani © Baileys Archive) 1955 - Meet Miss Thandi Brooks - Thandi Brooks is Regina Brooks daughter. Regina Brooks is a white woman living with a black man, a crime under the Immorality Act. She was charged under this act, but won her case. Regina spoke Sesotho and Zulu fluently. She fell in love with Sergeant Kumalo of the South African Police, who is Thandi's father. They lived in Dube as a couple. Thandi was born in 1953 in Vrede, Orange Free State. She has a perfect flow of Zulu. (Photograph by Drum photographer © Baileys Archive) JAN1955 - My Life Story - by Regina Brooks. Drum gives you the first full story of one of Africa's most controvesial figures, the white the woman who claims to have 'gone native'. She was born on a farm called Rooiport near the little town of Vrede in the Orange Free State. Her father was an Englishman. She grew up playing with her father's servants rather than with her brothers and sisters. She learned to speak Zulu and Sesotho, and these she spoke more fluently than English. She met Seargent Khumalo in Durban and fell in love with him, she gave birth to her daughter Thandi . She went to stay with him in Dube, Soweto. They were arrested under the immorality act and went to court. They were fined and the people who came to listen to their case collected money and psid their bail. (Photograph by Drum photographer © Baileys Archives) MAR1954 - Mr Drum Goes To Jail - This Picture shows the outside of Johannesburg Prison. Prisoners returning from work are search before going inside. They have to strip naked, then do a 'dance' in front of a prison guard, called the Tausa. (Photograph by Bob Gosani © Baileys Archive) SEP1954 - 'The Americans' - Mr Drum investigates the Reefs most notorious gang. During the week they rob businesses, disguised as employees in dustcoats. During the week-ends, they loaf around the locations, dressed in flashy American clothes. After World War II most of the worlds big cities had to face another war, trying to stop the crime wave caused by the young and unemployed. America had what was called, "The street with no name that runs across the States." Johannesburg was no exception. Sophiatown, generally considered the nucleus of all Reef crimes, spawned on to the Reef more gangs than any other Location. There were gang fights over girls. They even had the services of a Bachelor of Arts High school teacher and a matriculated student to write their love letters to the decent girls who drew their fancy. For the Americans tried to be respectable when they met respectable people. (Photograph by Bob Gosani © Baileys Archive) MAR1954 - Mr Drum Goes To Jail - This picture shows the method of searching prisoners at Johannesburg Central Jail,and in other jails throughout the country. Prisoners are made to strip naked and then to jump up in the air clapping their hands, opening their mouths, and then turn round.This is known as 'Tausa' or as the 'Zulu Dance'. Regulation No 388 (b) of the Prison Regulations of 1911, says:The searching of a convict shall be conducted with due regard to decency and self-respect,and in as seemly a manner as consistent with the necessity of discovering any concealed article on or in any part of his body or clothing. Drum submits that the method of searching shown in these two photographs has no regard whatever to dencency or self-respect; that it is neither necessary or even effective in preventing smuggling; and that it should be stopped forthwith. (Photograph by Bob Gosani © Baileys Archive) 31JUL1955 - The New Look And Old Look Went Dancing - It was a chilly night warmed only by the dense crowd at the Mafri dance. Girls were modelling African and European dress. Violet Ramitloa modelled Pedi dress and Violet Letoaba, Shangaan dress. (Photograph by Bob Gosani © Baileys Archive) DEC1953 - Bishop Limba Comes To The Reef - The Cape's richest priest tours the Union with his faithful group and fabulous mobile fleet. The new 'Messiah', Bishop James Tata Limba and his wife, U-Mama, arrive at Randfontein in their immaculate Buick 8. Out of the confusion of warring African religious sects since the beginning of the century, some have survived and became powerful organisations. One of them is Bishop Limba's 'Church of Christ' in Port Elizabeth. (Photogrpah by Bob Gosani © Baileys Archive) APR1959 - Josiah Madzunya: What Makes Him Tick So Loud? - Some say you can hear his blood boil when he gets worked up on a street corner about what his Africanist group stands for. Others say his blood is boiling because of that overcoat he wears, summer, winter, the lot. Whatever the reason, he has been boling over into the headlines ever since Africnists (Pan African Congress) split from the African Nationalist Congress in 1958. (Photograph by Drum photographer © Baileys Archive) SEP1957 - Treason: End of Round One - To keep fit, Nelson Mandela, solicitor, was at Jerry Moloi's boxing gym at Orlando every evening. He's shadow-sparring with Moloi (right) a professional featherweight. As the biggest case in South Africa's history lumbered to the end of its first stage this August 1957, the 156 accused men and women wondered how many of them would be back in court again. The 156 national leaders had first appeared at a preparatory examination into treason at the end of 1956, in the specially constructd court at the Drill Hall, Johannesburg; they had spent their lives in and out of court for most of 1957; and they could now see the possibility of the same prospect for the third calendar year, 1958, if they were committed for trial in the Supreme Court. (Photograph by Drum photographer © Baileys Archive) SEP1957 - Treason: End of Round One - To keep fit, Nelson Mandela, solicitor, was at Jerry Moloi's boxing gym at Orlando every evening. He's shadow-sparring with Moloi (right) a professional featherweight. As the biggest case in South Africa's history lumbered to the end of its first stage this August 1957, the 156 accused men and women wondered how many of them would be back in court again. The 156 national leaders had first appeared at a preparatory examination into treason at the end of 1956, in the specially constructd court at the Drill Hall, Johannesburg; they had spent their lives in and out of court for most of 1957; and they could now see the possibility of the same prospect for the third calendar year, 1958, if they were committed for trial in the Supreme Court. (Photograph by Drum photographer © Baileys Archive) SEP1957 - Treason: End of Round One - To keep fit, Nelson Mandela, solicitor, was at Jerry Moloi's boxing gym at Orlando every evening. He's shadow-sparring with Moloi (right) a professional featherweight. As the biggest case in South Africa's history lumbered to the end of its first stage this August 1957, the 156 accused men and women wondered how many of them would be back in court again. The 156 national leaders had first appeared at a preparatory examination into treason at the end of 1956, in the specially constructd court at the Drill Hall, Johannesburg; they had spent their lives in and out of court for most of 1957; and they could now see the possibility of the same prospect for the third calendar year, 1958, if they were committed for trial in the Supreme Court. (Photograph by Drum photographer © Baileys Archive) SEP1957 - Treason: End of Round One - To keep fit, Nelson Mandela, solicitor, was at Jerry Moloi's boxing gym at Orlando every evening. He's shadow-sparring with Moloi (right) a professional featherweight. As the biggest case in South Africa's history lumbered to the end of its first stage this August 1957, the 156 accused men and women wondered how many of them would be back in court again. The 156 national leaders had first appeared at a preparatory examination into treason at the end of 1956, in the specially constructd court at the Drill Hall, Johannesburg; they had spent their lives in and out of court for most of 1957; and they could now see the possibility of the same prospect for the third calendar year, 1958, if they were committed for trial in the Supreme Court. (Photograph by Drum photographer © Baileys Archive) JUL1955 - Jazz on Wheels! - Dolly Rathebe, Drum Cover, July 1955. When the Jazz Parade arrived in Durban, the artist all wanted to go to the beach. And they did too - after rehearsals! It was a singing and swimming afternoon though it had its exciting moments for Dolly. The morning train from Johannesburg to Durban was turned into a hep train by the Jazz Parade troupe as it swung its way to the coast to jazz up the fans in Durban with singing, dancing, and extra hot cheese-cake by Dolly Rathebe! Came Saturday afternoon and the troupe's first performance at a matinee in the City Hall. The hall was now packed with paying ears who came to listen. and what a show it was! The whole troupe put their everything in it; so much so that the second performance that evening was packed out. Four hundred people were turned away. (Photograph by Drum photographer © Baileys Archives) AUG1956 - Shantytown In City Hall! - No excitement for Manhattan Brothers 'Dam-Dam' Mdledle, and old hand in showbiz. He quietly reads philosophy backstage. It all started with the huge, compelling party poster splashed magnetically over Johannesburg. 'Township Jazz' at the Selbourne Hall. The poster also carried a controversy, sensitive as a winter blister. There would be shows for Euros only and shows for Non-Euros only. All this would take place at the Johannesburg City Hall. There the music, song and dace of the townships would be presented by the Union of South African Artists. This Union fights to get better and wider horizons for the Non-White artists. So if this Union claims to champion the cause of us blacks, why the hack should they go in for segregation and seperate audiences and black dates and white dates. No man, you don't see the point. The Union's got somewhere if they've got the City Hall for this. They're bringing out of the dark, township halls some of the artists who'd otherwise never ever see the light of day. Township Jazz was a baby that belonged to us. Township Jazz was the baby Euros jes can't have. He's black an' brown an' green an' gold an everything but white. (Photograph by Bob Gosani © Baileys Archive) FEB1955 - What Will Happen In The Western Areas - Sophiatown Residents Show Mixed Feelings About The Move - The first sixty families in Sophiatown, Johannesburg, have been given orders to leave their houses, and have been offered accomodation in the new location in Meadowlands. "You are hereby required in terms of the Native Resetlement Act 1954 to vacate the premises in which you are residing..." The first date given is February 12th. (Photograph by Bob Gosani © Baileys Archives) FEB1955 - What Will Happen In The Western Areas - Sophiatown Residents Show Mixed Feelings About The Move - The first sixty families in Sophiatown, Johannesburg, have been given orders to leave their houses, and have been offered accomodation in the new location in Meadowlands. "You are hereby required in terms of the Native Resetlement Act 1954 to vacate the premises in which you are residing..." The first date given is February 12th. (Photograph by Bob Gosani © Baileys Archives) NOV1955 - Drum Secret Camera At The Pretoria Bare-fist Fights - Every Sunday afternoon at about 4.30 a horde of rowdy 'Amalaitas' (bare fist fighters) advance slowly to the little township of Bantule, Pretoria, from various directions to the accompaniment of mouth - . The Police urge the fighters on. The fights continue in great secrecy. No holds are barred in these fights which often end in brutal assaults. The fighters inflict all types of blows-butting with the head, tirpping and kicking each other in the groin with upraised knee. (Photograph by Bob Gosani © Baileys Archives) 1955 - Unknown Photographer, Bob Gosani (Photograph by Drum Photographer © Baileys Archive) 1955 - Unknown Photographer, Bob Gosani (Photograph by Drum Photographer © Baileys Archive) 1954 - Love Story, Sophiatown (Photograph by Bob Gosani © BAHA) UN1958 - Wow These Girls Can Sure Dress - Jo'burg's factory girls reckon they're one up on all the other babes when it comes to dressing smartly. Here's their evidence. Now you judge, we're scared to. Casual wear preferred. (Photograph by Bob Gosani © BAHA) JUN1958 - Wow These Girls Can Sure Dress - Jo'burg's factory girls reckon they're one up on all the other babes when it comes to dressing smartly. Here's their evidence. Now you judge, we're scared to. Casual wear preferred. (Photograph by Bob Gosani © BAHA) JAN1958 - Goodbye '57 - South African nurses rebelled at colour clauses. Voices of Non-White nurses rang out far and clear when nursing apartheid became law. They refused to be advised or controlled by white nurses. So they called a conference in Johannesburg and set up a new all race group, the Federation of South African Nurses and Midwives. They will try to gain affiliation with the International Council of nurses. At the conference there were acrid accusations of the South Africa Nursing Association, now completely white. (Photograph by Bob Gosani © BAHA)

1957 - Nelson Mandela with champion Jerry Moloi during the Treason Trial. Mandela used to spar after sitting in the dock all day, for relaxation and recreation. (Photograph by Bob Gosani © Baileys Archive)

1955 - Meet Miss Thandi Brooks - Thandi Brooks is Regina Brooks daughter. Regina Brooks is a white woman living with a black man, a crime under the Immorality Act. She was charged under this act, but won her case. Regina spoke Sesotho and Zulu fluently. She fell in love with Sergeant Kumalo of the South African Police, who is Thandi's father. They lived in Dube as a couple. Thandi was born in 1953 in Vrede, Orange Free State. She has a perfect flow of Zulu. (Photograph by Drum photographer © Baileys Archive)

JAN1955 - My Life Story - by Regina Brooks. Drum gives you the first full story of one of Africa's most controvesial figures, the white the woman who claims to have 'gone native'. She was born on a farm called Rooiport near the little town of Vrede in the Orange Free State. Her father was an Englishman. She grew up playing with her father's servants rather than with her brothers and sisters. She learned to speak Zulu and Sesotho, and these she spoke more fluently than English. She met Seargent Khumalo in Durban and fell in love with him, she gave birth to her daughter Thandi . She went to stay with him in Dube, Soweto. They were arrested under the immorality act and went to court. They were fined and the people who came to listen to their case collected money and psid their bail. (Photograph by Drum photographer © Baileys Archives)

MAR1954 - Mr Drum Goes To Jail - This Picture shows the outside of Johannesburg Prison. Prisoners returning from work are search before going inside. They have to strip naked, then do a 'dance' in front of a prison guard, called the Tausa. (Photograph by Bob Gosani © Baileys Archive)

SEP1954 - 'The Americans' - Mr Drum investigates the Reefs most notorious gang. During the week they rob businesses, disguised as employees in dustcoats. During the week-ends, they loaf around the locations, dressed in flashy American clothes. After World War II most of the worlds big cities had to face another war, trying to stop the crime wave caused by the young and unemployed. America had what was called,

MAR1954 - Mr Drum Goes To Jail - This picture shows the method of searching prisoners at Johannesburg Central Jail,and in other jails throughout the country. Prisoners are made to strip naked and then to jump up in the air clapping their hands, opening their mouths, and then turn round.This is known as 'Tausa' or as the 'Zulu Dance'. Regulation No 388 (b) of the Prison Regulations of 1911, says:The searching of a convict shall be conducted with due regard to decency and self-respect,and in as seemly a manner as consistent with the necessity of discovering any concealed article on or in any part of his body or clothing. Drum submits that the method of searching shown in these two photographs has no regard whatever to dencency or self-respect; that it is neither necessary or even effective in preventing smuggling; and that it should be stopped forthwith. (Photograph by Bob Gosani © Baileys Archive)

31JUL1955 - The New Look And Old Look Went Dancing - It was a chilly night warmed only by the dense crowd at the Mafri dance. Girls were modelling African and European dress. Violet Ramitloa modelled Pedi dress and Violet Letoaba, Shangaan dress. (Photograph by Bob Gosani © Baileys Archive)

DEC1953 - Bishop Limba Comes To The Reef - The Cape's richest priest tours the Union with his faithful group and fabulous mobile fleet. The new 'Messiah', Bishop James Tata Limba and his wife, U-Mama, arrive at Randfontein in their immaculate Buick 8. Out of the confusion of warring African religious sects since the beginning of the century, some have survived and became powerful organisations. One of them is Bishop Limba's 'Church of Christ' in Port Elizabeth. (Photogrpah by Bob Gosani © Baileys Archive)

APR1959 - Josiah Madzunya: What Makes Him Tick So Loud? - Some say you can hear his blood boil when he gets worked up on a street corner about what his Africanist group stands for. Others say his blood is boiling because of that overcoat he wears, summer, winter, the lot. Whatever the reason, he has been boling over into the headlines ever since Africnists (Pan African Congress) split from the African Nationalist Congress in 1958. (Photograph by Drum photographer © Baileys Archive)

SEP1957 - Treason: End of Round One - To keep fit, Nelson Mandela, solicitor, was at Jerry Moloi's boxing gym at Orlando every evening. He's shadow-sparring with Moloi (right) a professional featherweight. As the biggest case in South Africa's history lumbered to the end of its first stage this August 1957, the 156 accused men and women wondered how many of them would be back in court again. The 156 national leaders had first appeared at a preparatory examination into treason at the end of 1956, in the specially constructd court at the Drill Hall, Johannesburg; they had spent their lives in and out of court for most of 1957; and they could now see the possibility of the same prospect for the third calendar year, 1958, if they were committed for trial in the Supreme Court. (Photograph by Drum photographer © Baileys Archive)

JUL1955 - Jazz on Wheels! - Dolly Rathebe, Drum Cover, July 1955. When the Jazz Parade arrived in Durban, the artist all wanted to go to the beach. And they did too - after rehearsals! It was a singing and swimming afternoon though it had its exciting moments for Dolly. The morning train from Johannesburg to Durban was turned into a hep train by the Jazz Parade troupe as it swung its way to the coast to jazz up the fans in Durban with singing, dancing, and extra hot cheese-cake by Dolly Rathebe! Came Saturday afternoon and the troupe's first performance at a matinee in the City Hall. The hall was now packed with paying ears who came to listen. and what a show it was! The whole troupe put their everything in it; so much so that the second performance that evening was packed out. Four hundred people were turned away. (Photograph by Drum photographer © Baileys Archives)

AUG1956 - Shantytown In City Hall! - No excitement for Manhattan Brothers 'Dam-Dam' Mdledle, and old hand in showbiz. He quietly reads philosophy backstage. It all started with the huge, compelling party poster splashed magnetically over Johannesburg. 'Township Jazz' at the Selbourne Hall. The poster also carried a controversy, sensitive as a winter blister. There would be shows for Euros only and shows for Non-Euros only. All this would take place at the Johannesburg City Hall. There the music, song and dace of the townships would be presented by the Union of South African Artists. This Union fights to get better and wider horizons for the Non-White artists. So if this Union claims to champion the cause of us blacks, why the hack should they go in for segregation and seperate audiences and black dates and white dates. No man, you don't see the point. The Union's got somewhere if they've got the City Hall for this. They're bringing out of the dark, township halls some of the artists who'd otherwise never ever see the light of day. Township Jazz was a baby that belonged to us. Township Jazz was the baby Euros jes can't have. He's black an' brown an' green an' gold an everything but white. (Photograph by Bob Gosani © Baileys Archive)

FEB1955 - What Will Happen In The Western Areas - Sophiatown Residents Show Mixed Feelings About The Move - The first sixty families in Sophiatown, Johannesburg, have been given orders to leave their houses, and have been offered accomodation in the new location in Meadowlands.

NOV1955 - Drum Secret Camera At The Pretoria Bare-fist Fights - Every Sunday afternoon at about 4.30 a horde of rowdy 'Amalaitas' (bare fist fighters) advance slowly to the little township of Bantule, Pretoria, from various directions to the accompaniment of mouth - . The Police urge the fighters on. The fights continue in great secrecy. No holds are barred in these fights which often end in brutal assaults. The fighters inflict all types of blows-butting with the head, tirpping and kicking each other in the groin with upraised knee. (Photograph by Bob Gosani © Baileys Archives)

1955 - Unknown Photographer, Bob Gosani (Photograph by Drum Photographer © Baileys Archive)

1954 - Love Story, Sophiatown (Photograph by Bob Gosani © BAHA)

UN1958 - Wow These Girls Can Sure Dress - Jo'burg's factory girls reckon they're one up on all the other babes when it comes to dressing smartly. Here's their evidence. Now you judge, we're scared to. Casual wear preferred. (Photograph by Bob Gosani © BAHA)

JUN1958 - Wow These Girls Can Sure Dress - Jo'burg's factory girls reckon they're one up on all the other babes when it comes to dressing smartly. Here's their evidence. Now you judge, we're scared to. Casual wear preferred. (Photograph by Bob Gosani © BAHA)

JAN1958 - Goodbye '57 - South African nurses rebelled at colour clauses. Voices of Non-White nurses rang out far and clear when nursing apartheid became law. They refused to be advised or controlled by white nurses. So they called a conference in Johannesburg and set up a new all race group, the Federation of South African Nurses and Midwives. They will try to gain affiliation with the International Council of nurses. At the conference there were acrid accusations of the South Africa Nursing Association, now completely white. (Photograph by Bob Gosani © BAHA)

Bob Gosani was born in 1934 in Johannesburg. In 1952, he began his career in photojournalism as a darkroom assistant for J�rgen Schadeberg at Drum Magazine where he continued to work throughout his career. His work became widely recognised within South Africa.

Some of his pictures have become iconic images of the 1950�s in South Africa. Some of his most famous sequence of pictures include Nelson Mandela sparring with his boxing club's star boxer of the time, Jerry Moloi, and the humiliating and degrading Tauza dance that naked prisoners were forced to perform in the courtyard of the notorious Johannesburg prison, The Fort, in Hillbrow. As a result of many of his pictures being published in Drum, he was able to contribute significantly to raising awareness as well as fighting the injustices of the Apartheid government.

In 1957 he was in a serious car accident and lost a lung, after which he took on freelance photographic work. Bob Gosani died in August 1972.