Cape Town – After her mother died in July, Heather Tager began sorting through her belongings. “You know old people keep everything in tiny, little packets,” she mused.
Tager, 66, from Sea Point came across a Cape Argus dated January 2, 1896, still in an amazing condition and intact.
When Tager saw that the Cape Argus was celebrating its 160th birthday this year, she rushed to send the newspaper an email.
“The paper, although a bit yellow by now, still makes a fascinating read. I love looking at the prices,” she said.
“To let: a nice dwelling house, seven rooms, with two paddocks, £7 from February 1,” she read.
“Going to the movies for 10c and different prices depending on where you sat a flat to rent for £26...”
Tager does not know why her mother had kept the paper from 1896, but suspects her father kept it.
While searching, she found another paper, from 1963. Tager said her father had kept the latter as there was a photo of their old Rondebosch house on the front page. “We lived there until I was about 12 and then we moved through to Sea Point.”
Then-minister of foreign affairs, Eric Louw, bought the house for R23 000.
Looking through the newspaper brought back many childhood memories.“There was an Adelphi movie house in Sea Point, where the Adelphi Centre is now. I remember going to swop comics there on a Saturday morning as a child."
“They’ve got a page of adverts for the old clubs that were in Cape Town... My parents used to talk about the Three Cellars and the Sable Room.
The newspaper from 1963 was only printed in black, white, red and pink.
There were many adverts for cigarettes and alcohol.
Tager said she was definitely not giving the paper away.