Zonophone (Primary Title)
Siemon Allen, South African, born 1970 (Artist)
"These individual artifacts are fragments. With these artifacts, I believe that I construct an incomplete history—as all histories must be."—Siemon Allen
This work is part of Allen’s larger project of archiving mass-produced printed material that pertains to South African history and thus relates to questions of personal and national identity. Zonophone reproduces the earliest record in Allen’s extensive collection and possibly the earliest mention of South Africa in an audio recording. Allen, who now lives in Richmond, scanned the record at high resolution and printed it on archival paper, capturing a remarkable level of detail.
The tune is “Marching on Pretoria (Patriotic Song),” dating from the second Anglo-Boer War (1899–1902). The song reflects a British patriotic position but has similarities to a famous Afrikaans song from the same time called “Marching to Pretoria.” Both are based on the American Civil War song “Marching through Georgia.”
Imaging South Africa: Collection Projects by Siemon Allen, Anderson Gallery, Richmond, VA, August 27 - October 31, 2010
Records, Goodman Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa, September 17 - October 22, 2011
Some object records are not complete and do not reflect VMFA's full and current knowledge. VMFA makes routine updates as records are reviewed and enhanced.