Monday 29 September 2008

Clearing out photos


I am clearing out some older photos, but not old enough for me!, I am putting movie memorabilia onto eBay including Paul Newman's original publicity photos, I have listed some from "The Drowning Pool" - where the song "softly killing me with your song" came from. apparently.

Also from "Cool Hand Luke" and "Winning."


Lots more to go, also have heaps of New Zealand Aircraft photos to clear out - from the "Wings" magazine archives. I have some regulars who buy these as well as putting some on the local Trademe auction. I am keeping a lovely old photo of the Vogel 1 aeroplane made by Wellington photographer Arthur Schaef.


I also have an eBay guide on how to identify different types of photographs. Let me know if this is useful and if I can improve it.

Old Photo of Dunedin about 1862 Princes Street


Just got this in mail today. A great photo of Princes street in Dunedin. I had a look on Timeframes A great site to see some of the National Libraries holdings. It takes a bit of navigating around and don't go on it after midnight as they seem to shut all their servers down.

Anyway, there is a copy of this photo there.





I at first thought it the same but noticed a few differences; mine is not cropped so much and the library one seems to have a name written in the negative to the lower left corner as well as a few more scratches. (The National Library images are not high resolution - to encourage you to buy a print!)

This photo also appears on page 11 of Hardwicke Knight's book "Photography in New Zealand" pub 1971 - he attributes this photo to William Melluish who seems to have had his studio very near here. The National Library says photographer unknown. Knight uses it as an example of how these photos from collodian glass plates are a bit "faster" than earlier so you can see people who are not moving too much but there are still "ghosts" of moving carts and people.

In the photo can be seen the following names:
Day & Mieville
W & J Barr - Butcher
James Bird & Co. Auctioneers, Commission & Shipping Agents
A. Mercer ships chandlers
a milner?

On the rear of mine it says Princes Street Dunedin & Dunedin looking down main street.

It came on the same page as another print.




This is labelled on rear - Club Hotel, Dunedin and "Club House - This club is now broken up"

I have no idea where or what this was so if any one knows ...


There is a small shield over the door but too indistinct to see much


Friday 26 September 2008

Maggie Maine nee McCrae


3.2 Maggie Maine or Margaret Martha Gordon Maine nee McCrae "Mrs McCrae married" Rear: "M M G McCrae born 25th June" 1844

She is one of Georgiana’s daughters
d. 1914 Married Nicholas Maine - I think they had one son?

photo by:
Johnstone O’Shannessy & Co 3 Bourke St, East, Melbourne


Great dress - a chintz look to it. I wonder what colour it is?

Fanny Moore nee McCrae

Fanny Moore nee McCrae
Octavia Frances Gordon McCrae born 20th June 1847 at Arthur's Seat in the suburb which is now known as McCrae! near Melbourne, Australia.
The McCrae's were one of the first settlers to set up a farm there.
Fanny was one of Georgiana McCrae nee Gordon's daughters.
She married George Walton Moore in 1867.
- CDV photo by: Johnstone O’Shannessy & Co 3 Bourke St, East, Melbourne
This is one of two photos on the same page which, I take, show the album owner's two daughters successfully married off. I think this is quite a stunning photograph with a great pose and a great subject.

Saturday 20 September 2008

McCrae album page 2

Thanks Jeff Payne for pointing me in the right direction: this is Georgiana Huntly McCrae see http://www.slv.vic.gov.au/pictoria/b/2/8/doc/b28733.shtml for a colour version. see http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A020135b.htm for a biography. Georgiana was a very good miniature painter and this is from a self portrait she made of herself. There are a few books about her: Georgiana's Journal Melbourne 1841-1865 edited by Hugh McCrae - her Grandson. It has this picture on it's front cover.

There is also Georgiana by Brenda Niall which also has this same picture on the cover.



Image 2.1 "Mrs A M McCrae from a picture". Rear: "portrait of myself May 1824".[this is her married name from Andrew Murison McCrae] - photo by
Johnstone O’Shannessy & Co 3 Bourke St, East, Melbourne active 1865-1886






Image 2.2 Georgiana's son - Sandy McCrae "Mr McCrae "Rear: Alex[ander] Gordon McCrae born St Andrews Jan[?] 1836 - photo by Patterson Bros 8 & 37 Bourke St, East, Melbourne. I an not sure when these photographers were
active - does anyone know?

Alex Gordon McCrae (Sandy) 1836-1923 "Mr McCrae" Rear: "Alex? Gordon McCrae born St Andrews Jan[?] 1836"
Photo by: Patterson Bros 8 & 37 Bourke St, East, Melbourne
He was born 13 November 1836 in Edinburgh, Scotland
One of Georgiana’s sons.
He stayed with his father (Andrew) at Alberton, later on he worked at Omeo Station and at 17 joined the police force. He was on duty at Eureka at the end of 1854 at the goldminers revolt. He resigned three moinths later.
He worked in the outback with cattle and horses in Northern Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia. he wrote many letters to his family (See page 228 in Niall for more detail.)
In 1864 he was made inspector of cattle at Port Denison at £300 per year. Worked at seven creeks near Euroa in Northern Victoria - He never married.

Friday 19 September 2008



Mrs Cole, Brighton, Melbourne [c.1865]
Johnstone O’Shannessy & Co 3 Bourke St, East, Melbourne active 1865-1886.

This album seems to use the married names for everyone so this is probably her married name.

Small photo glued in. Mrs A McCrae [c.1865]

Page 1 Photo 3 The late Mr Cole. On rear: Mr G K[?] Cole [taken?] 21st Aug 1865 born 31st Oct 1848 Died 5th Aug 1866 taken by Johnstone O’Shannessy & Co 3 Bourke St, East, Melbourne active 1865-1886



CDV Album Cover



Front cover in leather and brass and clasps - one is missing. 22 x 16 cm.

Starting Out

Just saw Photo-Sleuth and felt inspired to post up some of my collection of old, mainly New Zealand, photos. (I also realised that I am probably bidding against him on TradeMe and Ebay!)

I have found from my genealogy researches that if you post up what you know that people, sometimes, years later, see it and contact you with more and more information.

I have been working on an old New Zealand CDV album that is rare in that almost every one of the photos is identified! There are about 50 small CDV photos.

Here is a listing of what I have been able to glean off of the cards:

New Zealand Photo Album Mccraes Dunedin, Scotland, Shetland Islands, Melbourne c. 1870

Notes on cards

CDV photos (all numbered left to right - two cards per side.)

1. 1 Mrs Cole, Brighton, Melbourne 1 [c.1865]
1.2 Small photo glued in. Mrs A McCrae [c.1865]
1.3 The late Mr Cole. On rear: Mr G K[?] Cole [taken?]

21st Aug 1865 born 31st Oct 1848 Died 5th Aug 1866 2

2.1 Mrs A H [could be W] McCrae from a picture. Rear: portrait of myself May 1824.[probably owner of this album 2.1 & 2.2 are prob husband and wife]3

2.2 Mr McCrae Rear: Alex? Gordon McCrae born St Andrews Jan[?] 1836 4

3.1 Mrs McCrae married Rear: Octavin[?] Frances G McCrae born 20th June 1847 [dau. of album owner?]5

3.2 Mrs McCrae married Rear: M G McCrae born 25th June 1844 [dau. of album owner?]

4.1 Mrs A McCrae rear blank [Possibly owner of album c. 1864]

4.2 Mr Geo. McCrae married Rear: George Gordon McCrae from Royal oak Day [born?]1833, [George Gordon McCrae born 29 May 1833 Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland died 16 Aug 1927 Anchorfield, Hawthorne, Victoria, Australia. Married Augustus Helen Brown 1871 in Australia - from IGI]6.

5.1 Mr McCrae rear: Farquhar P. G. McCrae born 7th Sept. 1838 [Farquhar Peregrine R. McCrae born 1838 Australia died 1915 m. Emily Aphrasia Brown - 13 Mar 1865 Castlemaine, Vict.,Aust., b. 7 Sept 1838 Milton Glasgow, Lanark., died 1915 Aust; his parents are Andrew McCrae and Georgia Huntly - IGI]7

5.2 Mrs Robert Lalelly's McCrae Rear: Lucia Georgina McCrae married 10th June 1862 Robert Hynduean [Hyndeman?]

6.1 Mr A McCrae's grandson Master _____ Rear: Robert Gordon Hynduean son of Robert J Lucy Hyndeuan [taken] 1864 "for Mr Irvine" [poss. boy's grandfather]8

6.2 Mrs Caddele India Mrs Amy McCrae. rear: In. [India] G McCrae [taken] 1869 9

7.1 The Late Mrs Captain McCrae rear: taken from a glass picture ? in 1858 Jr [?] E M[?] Gralium

7.2 The Late Captain McCrae rear: ryeched neg[?] Cap McCrae (Club) 10

8.1 rear: Farquhar M Cole [taken?] July 30 1874 11

8.2 12

9.1 13

9.2 14 ???CB

10.1 Mrs George McCrae Rear: Augusta Helen Brown Rear: 1871 McCrae [born 1851 Launceston, Tas. Aust. died 30 Apr 1923 Hawthorn, Vict - IGI -see photo 4.1 for husband]15

10.2 Mr George McCrae Rear: George Gordon McCrae 16 [c.1860?]

11.1 The late J B Leisk, Leith. [see 25.1]17

11.2 Mrs J B Leisk [see 25.1]18

12.1 blank on rear

12.2. The late Dr Alex H blank on rear

13.1 Mr Henry Brewer Solicitor Rear: Henry Clayton Brewer Esq. 19 20[son of Clayton Brewer - see family tree attached]

13.2. 21

14.1 22

14.2 23

15.1 24

15.2 25 c.1870?

16 ?

17 ?

18.1 Mrs Margaret Irvine rear: Maggie Irvine 26 [1864-7]

18.2 My Mother the late Mrs William Irvine, Lerwick [Shetland Is.] 27

19.1 My mother in law Mrs Thomas Leisk L [Lerwick?]

19.2 My son Mr William McCrae

20.1 Mrs MacGowan Rear: with Kind Love 4th Feb 187528

20.2 Mrs MacGowan 29

21.1 Mr Alfred Boot? 30

21.2 Mrs Alfred Boot 31

22.2 Doctor Robert Cowie - 32 [born Dundee 1841 d. Dunedin 1909 m. Christina nee Robertson]

23.1 Mrs Josiah White 33

23.2 Mr Josiah White 34

24.1 James William Drever aged 4 years 5 months 12th Dec 1871 [born May 1867]35

24.2 Master T Drever Rear: Thomas Ian Drever aged 2 years& 10 months 12 Dec 1871 [born feb 1869]36

25.1 The late Mrs Robert Leisk & her grandchildren [Robert Leisk b. 1834 Only Mate Merchant Serv. (Seaman) widowed at 1881 census on board "Vildozola SS" North Shields Northumberland IGI][refers to 24.1, 24.2 & 25.2]

25.2 Ms B Drever (crossed out) on rear: Margaret Lizzie Gertrude Drever age 6 years & 9 months 12 Dec 1871 [born Mar 1865]37

26.1 Mrs Guthrie - 38.

26.2 Walter Guthrie Esq. 39

27.1 note only Mr John Mcdonagale Stuart The Australin Explorer.

I have notes on the photographers for each card too which I need to tidy up and post here too.

Also need to scan the photos and backs.