Sepia Saturday 295 : 5 September 2015


For Sepia Saturday this week, Alan asks that you: 

"cut through the fog, reach out into the void, build bridges between different lands and, most important of all, not to miss the bus. Whatever prompt you care to find in our theme image this week, just link it to an old photograph of your own and tell us about it."

There is a series of photos from my mother's photo album and I am reaching out into the void here as they were taken before I was born.  I did sit down with my godmother about 20 years ago and ask for identification of people on some of them.  As a point of interest, my godmother doesn't feature in them...maybe she had gone overseas by then.  And I have no idea who the men are in the photos - brothers maybe?  So we're talking 1950s.

On the back of the waterfall photo is written, I suspect in my mother's handwriting....

Liz, Carol, Wilma, Is, Lae, Aud

Liz and Carol were my mother's bridesmaids.  I know that much.  Basically I think all the women went to school together.  



From the same series, this one has written on the back:

Audrey E.,Liz,Iz,Barb Mc ?
So, now I don't think it is my mother's handwriting because she is NOT in that photo.  And why wouldn't she know who she was...?

She is however in this photo...second from the left.


My handwriting is on the back of this photo from the session with my godmother and it says:

4th from left Isobel Eamons

Note my mother holding the box brownie!  She was a fiendish photographer.

There is no writing on the remaining photos in the series...




The photo below probably provides a good clue to their whereabouts - somewhere in the Blue Mountains - as it is taken in the car-park.  If I could bear to go into Robert's messy study (this is calling the kettle black, I do realise) and use a scanner which could give me a higher resolution, I might be able to read the sign on the left there.  I'm going to guess that in the first photo they are looking at Govett's Leap or Bridal Veil Falls but I am happy for someone to correct me.


 

I think that for today, things will have to remain foggy and blurry - lost in the mists of time.




But wait!


I still have my mother's letters to her father.  

One from 3 September 1959 reads as follows:

I had a very pleasant surprise yesterday when Audrey Eamens called in to see me.  You probably remember her from back a bit; she's Isobel's cousin, lives at Parramatta, and she stayed with us a couple of times; very tall and dark angular girl, quiet, with a nice slow smile. She took over from Carol Reeves as French mistress at Murrumburra when Carol pulled out to come to Strathfield, and has been in charge up there for over two years now.  Anyway, the long and short of it is, she's gone and got herself engaged.  They are being married in January and will live in Melbourne.  She had planned to sail for England in October, but that's all been ditched now, and she's giving up teaching completely.
Elizabeth bought a two-door Morris (new) last Saturday, and is in the process of chucking everything she can lay her hands on, including her mother, into it, and heading for a week at the Hydro.  The poor kids looks knocked out and really needs a break....
Carol Reeves is till up at Kosi and Val went down to Perrisher (spelling?) on Friday morning with enough equipment, mostly borrowed, to sink a ship. 

So I choose to believe that Liz convinced my mother and other school friends to join her for the weekend at the Blue Mountains.  My godmother, Val, was still skiing at Perisher but Carol must have got back in time from Kosciusko.  From the letter I found that Is and Aud are cousins and that I spelled Eamons incorrectly and that it should be Eamens.  I was going to ask everyone what kind of car they thought the men were playing with but I think it is Liz's two-door Morris.  What do you think?

If you want to see some fabulous photos of the Hydro Majestic in the snow check out its website here.  The Blue Mountains are not skiing country but the Snowy Mountains in NSW which includes Mount Kosciuszko (pronounced Cossie-Osko and Australia's highest mountain) and Perisher are some of the favourite skiing places in Australia.  And it seems that our snow season may last a while longer yet this year.  The official end is 4 October I understand.

For more beautiful photos of the Blue Mountains - one of my all time favourite places in the world - follow my former work colleague, Gary Hayes and his photos on Instagram or check out his website here - I've linked you to the "misterious land" range of photos, as he calls them.

For more foggy memories of times gone by click here.

Comments

luvlinens said…
Great Vintage Family pix. A Treasure to have still in your possession. Nice Post. Thanks for sharing.
Alex Daw said…
Thank you so much for dropping by my blog and choosing to follow. Yes, I do treasure the old family photos.
Wow, another Bridal Veil Falls. Never dawned on me there would be more than one. I knew the one in Hawaii. But now that I've looked the name up I find out they're all over the place!
And of course the one at Yosemite. That's the other one I know of.
Alex Daw said…
I know what you mean. I spend my life reading SS posts and going "Oh, so that's not unique to Australia...it's actually named after somewhere in England/Scotland/Wales/Ireland !
Alex Daw said…
I didn't know there were more Bridal Veil Falls than the ones I knew at the Blue Mountains. They will of course in my mind be the original ones :)
Little Nell said…
How lucky you are to have anything at all written on the back of the photos, as well as your mother’s letters. I think you did very well in cutting through the fog.
Alex Daw said…
Thanks Little Nell. Yes I must say that it was all very "serendipitous" finding the letter I did...very close the date I think those photos were probably taken too and to this weekend's date as well. Positively spooky!
Anonymous said…
The misty quality of the photos certainly adds to their appeal to me - back in the mists of time, such happy times.
violet s said…
One of Niagara Falls falls is also a Bridal Veil.
What a coincidence those photos were likely takenexactly 56 years ago.
and thanks for those links!
violet s said…
oh, I just read your comment above and the date coincidence was already noted.
21 Wits said…
Wonderful opening photo, reminds me of visiting Niagara Falls! Beautiful shot, and such other wonderful photos, to celebrate through the years!
Alex Daw said…
And the faces are genuinely sweet aren't they?
Alex Daw said…
I know Violet....sometimes I do believe in the after-life gently nudging me in particular directions :)
Alex Daw said…
Thank you Karen. I was wondering this morning if these tiny photos were going to cut it this week.
Alex Daw said…
Never mind. It takes me a while to see everything too.
Jofeath said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
Jofeath said…
Great atmospheric photographs in more ways than one. It certainly can get very foggy up there in the Blue Mountains, which only adds to the mystique and beauty of the area, especially when you gaze out across a white void.
diane b said…
You dig up the most interesting stories about your family's past.
Alan Burnett said…
I agree with everyone else, that first photograph is stunning. But the quality of your post matches it - a fine piece of detective work.
Alex Daw said…
Thanks Diane. Every week I think I have nothing and then it turns into something!
Alex Daw said…
Ah but Alan - you started it all! Without your prompt I am but dull clay :)
Mike Brubaker said…
Foggy photos and family history is a great take on this weekend's theme. I like how the tilted camera adds a thrilling perspective.
Alex Daw said…
Mike - it's interesting that you talk about the thrilling perspective. Some of those walks at the Blue Mountains are amazing in that as you look down at the valley thousands and thousands of feet below you try to get perspective on the tree tops. It is the weirdest thing. Sometimes not a good weird thing. I do sometimes believe that those walks could be treacherous - particularly on a foggy day. You need to keep your wits about you.

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