Martjie Carter had the honour of being commissioned twice by Boys High School to paint oil portraits of their former headmasters. The first was Mr Bill Schroder, and the second was Mr Tony Reeler.
Boys High Alumni
Boys High School, in the heart of Pretoria near Pretoria University, is rated as one of the top schools in South Africa. It has produced top alumni such as;
- Elon Musk
- Max Theiler – Nobel Prize Laureate for physiology and medicine
- Michael Levitt – Nobel Prize Laureate for Chemistry
- John Smit – former springbok rugby captain
The list goes on and on with the many Boys High boys who became highly successful in their respective fields. It goes without saying that Boys High must have done something very right. Nobody can achieve what the names above have achieved without strong character and strong fibre. And since they all have Boys High in common, it is logical to conclude that this school played an important part in character-building during their early years. Quoting the statement of John Smit on the cover of Mr Schroder’s Memoirs:
“There will only be one boss to my Pretoria Boys High memory – wise, calm and a mentor to us all.”
Mr Bill Schroder
The first headmaster that Martjie was commissioned to paint was Mr Bill Schroder. After the unveiling, this painting is now gracing the wall of the headmaster’s study, alongside the portraits of previous headmasters done by the great Irmin Henkel.
Martjie’s portrait of Mr Bill Schroder was also used by Jonathan Ball Publishers on the cover of Mr Schroder’s memoirs “A Headmaster’s Story”.
A few years later, this very company commissioned Martjie to paint a portrait of its founder and owner, Mr Jonathan Ball, who subsequently commissioned Martjie to paint a portrait of his beautiful late wife, Pam Ball.
Mr Tony Reeler
Mr Schroder’s Memoirs is a testimony to the quality. The subsequent headmaster, Mr Tony Reeler, whose portrait Martjie was also commissioned to paint, was equally formidable and under his leadership the decision was taken to restore the famous “Reeler Room”. Once completed it was also here where the portrait of Mr Reeler was unveiled.
