Photographs I've gleaned from flea markets, junk shops and sometimes ebay. The cheaper the better. Anything with a story that can be extracted from hand written notes, location research, local histories, census records......anything. A small band of fellow enthusiasts worldwide have helped me with many of these. Of course there are always mysteries that defy research, but there's even a story inside these. All images can be viewed at super-size on Flickr.

Wednesday 24 August 2011

Australian

merchant officer, Sydney.

The Sepia Saturday theme this week is based around Sydney and Australia. I found these two fellows in flea markets in England. A merchant officer (above) photographed in Sydney. Below, a dapper chap from a studio which gives its address only as 'North Queensland'. It has been pointed out to me that this covers an area larger than the whole of England, indicating that this was probably a travelling photographer.

Mathewson & Co., North Queensland, Australia.

10 comments:

  1. Two fine moustaches on show here. I'm glad that kind of collar was out of fashion before my time. Now it's all open-necked shirts and no ties.

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  2. I don't recall seeing that type of collar before.

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  3. Two very different, but nonetheless striking, poses.

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  4. The gentleman at the top seems to have grown out of his jacket a touch. I'm worried about those buttons.

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  5. Excellent moustaches in both pics, but No 2 looks a bit too smooth for my liking! Him, not the 'tache :-) Jo

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  6. Oh the fellow at the bottom makes me think of a lot of characters Daniel Day Lewis has played. An overly proper gentleman who wanted things just so.

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  7. I think I like that second gentleman. He looks like good company.

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  8. Two good examples on the changing fashion of facial hair. We are going through a similar period where the style conveys class, trade, nationality, sport, etc.

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  9. Great photos. There is something about merchant navy officers of that time - they all seem to adopt the same pose, a kind of inflated swagger.

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  10. I think the top fella wins the mustache competition! Great photos!

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