Owen Letcher’s Congo Belge, published in Johannesburg (1935)

Published by Pan African Publications.

The Historical Interest: The 1935 Propaganda Pivot

This book was compiled to mark the 50th anniversary of Belgian rule in the Congo (dating back to the establishment of the notorious Congo Free State under King Leopold II in 1885). By 1935, Belgium was eager to clean up its international image following the global outcry over the brutal rubber-extraction era.

Letcher's volume—interestingly published in Johannesburg and bilingual in English and French—was designed to project a heavily sanitized narrative of European "civilisation" in the heart of Africa. It highlights infrastructure, mining, and colonial development, making it an exceptional primary source for understanding how European powers in Southern and Central Africa collaborated to reshape public opinion and validate colonial resource extraction during the interwar period.

The Hunting Link: Owen Letcher’s Real Passion

While Congo Belge focuses heavily on history and industry, the true "hunting link" lies in the identity of its author, Owen Letcher. Before he became a prominent mining editor and institutional writer in Johannesburg, Letcher was a celebrated, hardcore turn-of-the-century big-game hunter and explorer.

Letcher’s contributions to Africana hunting literature are highly sought after by collectors:

The Luangwa and Bangweulu Expeditions: Long before this 1935 book, Letcher penned classics of African chase literature, most notably Big Game Hunting in North-Eastern Rhodesia (1911) and The Bonds of Africa: Impressions of Travel and Sport from Cape Town to Cairo (1913). These earlier works details his grueling foot safaris through the Luangwa Valley and the swamplands near Lake Bangweulu, tracking elephant, rhino, buffalo, and lion.

Binding worn and stained; prelims foxed; slight tear to map and creasing.

190mm x 255mm x 30mm

R1,000