Sandstone house of yester-year's ostrich feather boom in Oudtshoorn, Western Cape, South Africa

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A number of imposing sandstone ostrich palaces and public buildings have survived in and around Oudtshoorn, bearing witness to the opulence of the ostrich feather boom early in the twentieth century. The ostrich palaces of Oudtshoorn are a common sight in the Klein Karoo town. The great feather boom began in 1870 with ostrich feathers being exported at around 450 000 kilograms a year. The fashions of Europe demanded more and more feathers, inspiring a growth in the industry and record prices in international markets. The consequences of the boom meant that ostrich farmers experienced a new level of opulence, and were able to build beautiful mansions made of sandstone. Sadly the feather boom came to a standstill during first and second World Wars and has yet to recover to such high levels.

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Size: 4752px × 3168px
Location: Oudtshoorn, Western Cape, South Africa
Photo credit: © Hein Von Hörsten / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: africa, architecture, boom, cape, color, feather, feathers, fencing, flowers, heritage, horizontal, image, jacaranda, karoo, klein, national, ostrich, oudtshoorn, palace, palaces, sandstone, south, town, tree, western