Andrew Geddes Bain (baptised 11 June 1797 – 20 October 1864), was a Cape Colony geologist, road engineer, palaeontologist and explorer.

In this collection, there are two manuscripts, both written at ‘Bain’s Kloof’ near Wellington on Cape government embossed stationery. It appears that this was viewed as scrap paper at the time of writing.

1) The first being ‘On the Geology of South Africa’ presumably dictated to a secretary, as this manuscript is in a secretarial hand. There are corrections made in the manuscript.

It is suggested that this is the primary manuscript used for the famous treatise. Dated 20 Nov 1851. The official version was published a year later by the Geological Society.

2) The second two-page manuscript letter in the hand of Bain is addressed to the secretary of the Geological Society of London. Dated 22 January 1852. Bain mentions the fossils he found Pareiasaurus Serridens otherwise known as ‘The Blinkwater Monster.’ In this letter Bain is offering his fossil collection to the Society. As a result of this donation Bain received peer acclaim and went on to produce the first scientific geological maps of South Africa.

Condition: distressed.

235mm x 355mm

https://www.theheritageportal.co.za/article/andrew-geddes-bain-iconic-pass-builder-and-father-geology-south-africa

R125,000