Alfred Porter
Alfred Porter (born September 14, 1909) in Burnley, England. Alfred Porter started work in 1925 in the Lancashire library in England and later later transferred to the Preston library. He obtained his Library Association certificate of fellowship and diploma on December 6, 1935. During the Second World War, he served as a radio operator in the Royal Air Force. He arrived in Port Elizabeth in 1947 with his wife Edith and their baby, Isobel. He was appointed deputy librarian in the Port Elizabeth Public Library until 1953 when he took over as librarian after his predecessor retired. He was a founder member of the Port Elizabeth Historical Society and editor of Looking Back for 13 years. He took over the Africana library in 1972. He finally retired in September 1979 after having been a librarian for over 54 years. Edith Porter died on November 11, 1997.
Performance history in South Africa
9 - 23 December, 1967: Acted as "Captain Orton" in the Port Elizabeth Gilbert & Sullivan Society production of The King and I produced by Helen Mann.
6 - 19 July, 1968: Played the role of "Mr Murdoch" in Brigadoon, staged by the Port Elizabeth Gilbert & Sullivan Society at the Port Elizabeth Opera House, directed by Helen Mann with musical director Peter K Woolston.
11-13 September, 1980: Starred as Arthur Birling in the Port Elizabeth Shakespearean Festival Young 'uns production of J B Priestly's An Inspector Calls, directed by Kevin Mackintosh.
Awards
On his 70th birthday, - 14th September, 1979 - he was awarded a long service award for 32 years of dedicated service to the city of Port Elizabeth.
Sources
The King and I theatre programme, CAPAB 1967.
An Inspector Calls theatre programme, 11th - 13th September, 1980.
Echo magazine, September 1997. "Alfred Porter - a Lifetime of Love of Books".
Eastern Province Herald, February 28, 1998. "Porter's Legacy Speaks Volumes" by Robert Ball writing under the pseudonym "Hugh Baakens".
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