RootsChat.Com
Old Photographs, Recognition, Handwriting Deciphering => Free Photo Restoration & Date Old Photographs => Topic started by: Neale1961 on Monday 28 December 20 03:07 GMT (UK)
-
I am posting 2 photos of Edwin, for restoration (without colour) for anyone who is keen. They are not in the best condition, so any improvement would be welcomed.
Edwin was born in 1870, Queensland. He was my great-grandmother’s brother.
At the age of 16 Edwin had a huge argument with his father and walked out of the house saying “ You can go to bl…y hell”. (His father notes this in his journal.) Edwin didn’t return home for 9 years.
I am assuming that these photos were sent to the family while he was away, and therefore date from the late 1880s to early 1890s. Some comments from daters would be welcome. I think the one wearing the hat is the earliest – do you agree?
Many thanks for your help.
-
and the second photo.
-
I will leave the dating to someone else, but I think he looks a bit younger in the photo with the hat, possibly late 20s, and maybe into his 30s in the second photo.
He looks quite dapper for a lad who ran away from home at 16. :)
-
He was quite the dandy ;)
I would think that these were mid to late 1890s, given the boater and the high collar. I've seen some pics that were dated early 1890s but most were mid decade.
Gadget
Add - both in his 20s
-
..
-
Grouzelle was at 308 George st from 1898 to 1902
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article228436683
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article112778333
M
ADD: The earliest Trove reference for 'Grouzelle Studios Limited' that I can see is in 1901
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article125882039
-
Dapper outfits... perhaps from same address as the studio....
... From Sands Directory 1900....
Sydney streets
Page 55 .... George St
304-306-308 (JM notes, so within same building)
Lloyd and Collins, direct importers of hosiery, gloves, mercery, boots, fancy goods, &c, Grouzelle Photographic Studios
308 Orme, Kelgwin and Co , wine and spirit merchants
310 ..... Kerry and Co, photographers...
At RChats NSW resources board ... thread with live links to the Sands Directories covering 1858 -1933, provided no charge via City of Sydney Archives.. . :)
JM. One finger typing.
-
Thanks everyone for your replies. Japeflakes - Thank you very much for your tidy up of Edwin.
Matthewj64 – Thanks, You have given me some useful information. I have since done some more reading about Grouzelle – there is plenty of information in the newspapers about his photographic studio – a very fashionable establishment! I get the impression from my reading that clothes may have been provided for customers and dressing rooms were provided. I wonder if Edwin normally dressed in such a dapper manner.
This has made me rethink my timeline for Edwin. These two photos were taken at the turn of the century, which sits better with the clothes he is wearing. He would be aged between 28 and 32 years old. (Ruskie was spot on with his age.) Contrary to my thinking, the photos are NOT during time he “ran away” from the family farm, which was 1886-1896. So I still don’t know where he was during that time. Once he returned home, Edwin was working as a hairdresser and tabaconist. His clothing in the earlier photo might suggest that type of employment? His first child was born in Queensland in 1903. So there were a few years where Edwin did some travelling between Toowoomba and Sydney, before settling down to family life.
-
I have many offline resources for Sydney and NSW for your era ... happy to look up, but just need to know... what was his surname? :)
JM.
-
Hi Neale
A small version of first one from me :)
Gadget
A colour change has occured between saving on my machine and uploading to RC. Will try to sort it!
-
Here's a black and white while I see if i can get the tone in sync
Now more or less sorted!
-
First one from me
Pat
-
One with a different tone
Pat
-
Edwin 2
-
I think you would expect him to be well dressed and well groomed in those lines of work Neale. :) Extra effort may have been made when visiting the photographic studio.
-
Here's Edwin 2 from me
Pat
-
Was Australian fashion a little behind UK/US at that time. Most of my reference pics of that neckware are mid-1890 and the odd one later in the decade.
-
Another version
Pat
-
and a more subdued one. Now returned to my other machine :)
-
Was Australian fashion a little behind UK/US at that time. Most of my reference pics of that neckware are mid-1890 and the odd one later in the decade.
Apparently not, though men may not have been so in touch with the latest fashions. Edwin might just have worn his best collar and tie even if it was slightly out old date. :)
-
Wow, what a lot of activity while I was away! Thank you everyone for your interest and comments.
Thanks so much for all those wonderful restores Gadget and Pat and Japflakes. They make Edwin look even “sharper” in his dress suit. I must admit, I find that the fashion taste in the 1st photo wearing the hat, makes me cringe a bit – especially the tie! I think it gives a sense of Edwin’s character however - I get the feeling that he was impressed with himself. The second photo where he is older comes out as a very lovely portrait in all those excellent restorations. Well done and thanks restorers. :D
Yes Gadget, I also wondered if Australian fashion was behind Britain and Europe, and the further away from Melbourne and Sydney, the more out-dated it was. I must bear that in mind as I work through the rest of the album. Also, this family was not well-off, and that must have made a difference to the clothes they wore.
Thanks JM for your offer of look ups – I will give you a shout if I need help. Now that I have a different time-line for Edwin, I will go back and look again. He may have remained in Queensland, but being underage (in his teens) for some of those missing 10 years, I am not expecting to find him.
-
One from me. :)
Peter
-
Thank you Peter. That's really great. What a difference when all the blotches are gone. Remarkable!
-
From an old post on here: Posted by OLD ROWLEY:
Louis Alphonse Grouzelle was born in Aisne, France in 1853 (father being Alphonse Grouzelle). He left France when he was twenty and went to Peru for three years (as you do ;D )
before arriving in Melbourne in the December of 1876. I can not find out just when he started up as a photographer in Melbourne but he did trade from the following addresses,
as Grouzelle & co.
11 Royal Arcade, Bourke Street East, Melbourne 1884-1887.
69-71 Swanston Street Melbourne 1887-1891.
119 Swanston Street Melbourne 1889-1891.
121 Swanston Street Melbourne 1892.
252 Collins Street Melbourne 1894-96.
as Grouzelle (Photographic Studio)
trading from Crown Bromide Studio Sydney 1897-1898.
as The Grazelle Studios Ltd
308 George Street Sydney 1898 - 1900
(he moved into this address in 1898 when it was new and imported his back drops from Paris and New York).
There appears to be an case brought against Louis Grouzelle in the Court of Insolvency index for the years between 1884-1900
Louis Gourzelle owned Gourzelle et Cie.
According to one site that I found he traded at Collins Street for 17 years, then in Sydney for 14 years and after that in Casino NSW for 18 years. He became a naturalised Australian in 1926 and date of death unknown.
old rowley
-
And the second one. :)
Peter
-
That’s just beautiful, Peter. Thank you.
The detail and texture you have found in his curly hair and the “mo” is incredible. Wow!
I am so thrilled to have received so many excellent restorations.
-
Glad I could help, Neale; you provided really good scans which were a pleasure to work on. :D
Peter
-
A late version from me.
Carol
-
One with a coloured mount and a slight texture.
Carol
-
Carol, Thank you so much for taking all that time for lovely detailed restorations of Edwin. He is looking very distinguished in those oval frames. :)
-
My pleasure Neale, he does scrub up well doesn't he, a good scan always helps :D
Carol