Shebeens Take a Bow! A Celebration of South Africa’s Shebeen Lifestyle by Jim Bailey and Adam Seftel

Shebeens Take a Bow! A Celebration of South Africa’s Shebeen Lifestyle is a fascinating photographic and social history of one of the most distinctive institutions in South African urban culture. Compiled and edited by Jim Bailey and Adam Seftel and drawn from the celebrated pages and photographic archives of DRUM magazine, this volume captures the atmosphere, personalities and social importance of the South African shebeen.

Published in 1994, this First Edition brings together historic photographs and contemporary reporting documenting shebeen life during decades when racial segregation, liquor legislation and apartheid restrictions shaped everyday life in South Africa. Shebeens became far more than informal drinking establishments: they were important social spaces where communities gathered, music flourished, friendships developed and aspects of urban Black South African culture found expression.

Shebeens Take a Bow! draws heavily upon DRUM magazine’s extraordinary photographic record, making it particularly appealing to collectors interested in South African photography, township history, Johannesburg, popular culture and social history. The cover photograph by Alf Kumalo immediately establishes the book’s documentary character, while the contents provide a vivid visual record of an important part of twentieth-century South African life.

A particularly interesting Africana title and an excellent addition to collections devoted to DRUM magazine, South African social history, apartheid-era culture, township life and documentary photography.

Condition – Good

Softcover copy with general shelf and handling wear. There is noticeable staining, particularly to the upper text block, together with scattered marks/spotting to the page edges. Covers show some rubbing, marking and age-related wear. Binding remains intact and the book is complete