THOMAS BAINES, the Victoria Falls - a thousand beauties

111pp., b/w & colour illus., maps, hardback, Harare, 2024

Jonathan Waters on the Chapman / Baines Expedition, 1861 to 1862. Thomas Baines (1820-1875) was an English artist, naturalist and explorer. When he was 22 he left England for South Africa. He worked in Cape Town as a scenic and portrait artist, and as official war artist for the British army. He participated in various expeditions and in 1861 joined explore, photographer, trader and hunter James Chapman on a west coast to east coast expedition. They reached the Victoria Falls in July 1862. Baines sketched and painted scenes of the Falls, many of which are reproduced in the book.

Jonathan Waters (b. 1969), a partner in New Zanj Publishing House, is the author of Victoria Falls, the greatest view on God's earth; Harare: Urban evolution; Kariba: Legacy of a Vision; Tree Tales of Zimbabwe; A Glass Half Full: A history of Zimbabwe's wine industry and Cheers: A history of beer in Zimbabwe.