Durban man keeps history alive with cereal box bus models
John Fann (80) has spent the last four years recreating Durban's bus models with cereal boxes in an attempt to preserve our rich transportation history.
Our city's history is so rich and diverse that we can sometimes lose sight of the things that used to be.
John Fann, (80) has spent the last four years ensuring that no one forgets the history of Durban buses. He has not only tried to preserve the integrity of how buses used to look, but has also done his bit for the environment by recycling used cereal boxes in a creative and fun way.
Municipal buses, a key transportation mode in many parts of South Africa, particularly in Durban, have a rich history. Fann wanted to capture this history by creating "hand-crafted" bus models using cereal boxes.
Historian and former eThekwini Transport employee Kevan Mardon inspired Fann's collection. Sadly, Mardon passed away in 2022.
Zainul Dawood, a Durban bus historian, accompanied by Fann and the late Mardon, collectively had a vision to share the rich history of the municipal buses with the people of Durban and the youth. However, they have been facing some challenges trying to get a museum to house this amazing collection.
According to eNCA, Fann took over 14,000 bus trips as a scholar. He also impressively worked on his collection for four years, from midday to midnight, seven days a week.
"The set of 80 vehicles is made mostly from cereal boxes, and reflects every generation from the first trams and electric buses, to contemporary diesel machines. But, surprisingly, Fann is yet to find a museum or suitable place to house his collection," reports eNCA.
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It is inspiring to know that Fann's collection might be the only accurate representation of a century of public transport in Durban.
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