The Slave Calendar

Today, the Iziko Slave Lodge museum in Cape Town strives to keep alive the memory of the over 71,000 slaves who were brought to Cape Town between 1653 and 1856. Tragically, South Africans have forgotten their connection to these innocent men and women who were stripped of everything – even their names. The museum needed a way to connect with new generations, increase visitor numbers, raise funds, and re-connect South Africans with their past. Considered as property, thousands of slaves were arbitrarily renamed after the calendar month in which they arrived. Created in partnership with the Slave Museum, and with the support of Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, we used this little known fact to create a physical calendar featuring descendants of these slaves who still carry that calendar month surname. This Slave Calendar holds the portraiture and true stories of hope as told by these living descendants.