Page 13 - Cape-Camera-October-2023

Cape Camera October 2023

Opposite page centre: Sibyl with
one of her images that was in-
cluded in the CTPS 125- year Cel-
ebration Exhibition.

Opposite page right: An image
taken during one of her many
travels.

Right: Sibyl was one of our Hon-
orary Life members who attend-
ed the CTPS 125-year celebra-
tion dinner. With her are Neels
Beyers, the late Henk Mulder,
David Gray, Jenny Powis, Detlef
Basel and Ian Levy.

Sibyl Morris (continued) “were, in a strange way, a time of great closeness be-

the monthly competitions, especially the set subjects, tween her and me,” Michael said. “It was a time when the
care roles were reversed and the son looked after the
because that forced me to think about subjects that mother.”
I had never tried, or which did not particularly interest
me, and to try to produce a meaningful photo.” Although it was difficult for her to communicate, they
spent the time talking about their memories and some-
She entered several salons and collected a number of times looking at photo albums recording their family life.
acceptances and a few Certificates of Merit. In 1999 she Her musical accomplishments were not dwelled on by
was awarded an APSSA in colour slides. At club level she the family, he recounted. “We knew she was a musician,
won the Johannesson Trophy for nature slides in 1995, and she practiced the piano a lot, so that the house
1996 and 2006, the Poichet trophy for Pictorial slides in was always filled with music. But, to us she was just our
1994 and 1997, and the Agfa trophy in 1992, 1994 and mom, we didn’t know much about her European con-
1997 for the highest point aggregate in slides. cert tours, prior to her family life. I think she was always
“I think we could all sense that photography needed to very proud, but also quite modest and private, about
change course radically in order to attract new mem- those days.”
bers, and digital proved to be the spur needed — slow He fondly remembered family celebrations, holidays,
to start, but, increasing dramatically in momentum each and his mother’s many dogs. “My mom
year. I bought my first digital camera in loved dogs and had a special way with
2005 and life has not been the same them. From my earliest memories, we
since!” ,I’m sure she could always had at least a pair of enormous,
From our club records it was obvious have been a pro- long-haired, friendly dogs, mostly
that Sibyl was a very committed and fessional wildlife breeds like Pyreneans and Newfound-
active club member for almost two photographer if she lands.”
decades, but she subsequently be- had wanted to be.’ His mother also loved to travel, and
came absent from most club activities. he recalls a memorable holiday trip to
Although we may not have seen much the Etosha Game Reserve, bravely un-
of Sibyl for more than a decade — except during our dertaken when he was five and his brother, Piers, even
125th Anniversary celebrations where one of her photo- younger. “We holidayed all over South Africa, often in
graphs was included in the retrospective exhibition and caravans, in many game reserves, in many Western Cape
the celebration dinner she attended — she remained towns, all over the Karoo.”
a keen photographer. She was particularly interested in He never realised how much his mother travelled around
wildlife and bird photography and according to a pro- Europe to study and perform music until he found many
file in Cape Camera of May/June 2019, she attended six evocative photos of these travels from the 50s and 60s.
workshops with experts like Albert Froneman and Chris “She undertook exotic holidays such as to Antarctica
van Rooyen, . and Russia and the South Shetland Islands, she was
This, together with her love for music and making mu- planning on going to the Galapagos and Amazon re-
sic filled her life with purpose and meaning (see more cently, but age and a broken hip caught up with her be-
about her musical accomplishments in the box). fore that could happen. On all those trips she took her
At her memorial service, Sibyl’s eldest son, Michael, cameras and brought back the most remarkable wild-
shared glimpses of their happy family life in his tribute. life photos. I’m sure she could have been a professional
The seven weeks after the brain tumour was diagnosed wildlife photographer if she had wanted to be.”

Cape Town Photographic Society 13