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Thursday, March 11, 2021

Unisa Archives, University of South Africa (Unisa) - Walter Battiss Collection - One of South Africa’s first & foremost abstract painters and a former Professor of Fine Arts at Unisa

Title of collection:
Walter Battiss Collection

Housed in:
Unisa Archives, University of South Africa
 
Unisa Archives Pinterest board titled:
Walter Battiss 6/01/1906 - 20/08/1982 - material in the Unisa Archives
 
Also see:
 
 
From the abstract:
The John Wickens’ Scrapbook of Walter Battiss materials was donated to the Unisa Library Archives by John’s sister, Mrs. Pat Franklin of Cape Town, in 2001. John Wickens, a friend of Battiss and a librarian by profession, died circa 2000. Wickens had lovingly kept a Scrapbook on the life and artistic career of his friend Walter Battiss (1906-1982).  
 

From the abstract:
* Renée Roos, Marié Rautenbach’s daughter, donated the correspondence (22 items), copies of sketches, invitations to Battiss exhibitions and photographs to the Unisa Library Archives in 2013.
* Together with the Walter Battiss - Dacre Punt Correspondence (MSS189), these Collections provide the researcher with some insight into the weird and wonderful life of the remarkable, talented, creative and enigmatic artist. Many of the Battiss letters are beautifully illustrated. He was a master calligrapher and his handwriting often varied from one letter to another.
 
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Background information on Walter Battiss
Born:
6 January 1906 (Somerset East, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa)

Died:
20 August 1982 (Port Shepstone, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa)
 
Position at Unisa:
Battiss became Professor of Fine Arts at Unisa in 1964 and retired in 1971
 
For more background information: