Sepia Saturday 191: 24 August 2013

 © Rob Steven via Flickr

This week I am going to stray from my norm and give you photos found on Picture Queensland rather than from my own family albums.  Rob Steven has given us such a fantastic photo that I feel nothing in my family albums is equal to the task...and besides...I do like a good hat...or bonnet.

 Nothing is known about the prompt image, so I could look for siblings, wives, penetrating gazes, shawls, gloves, beards, hands on shoulders or any group of three.

So off we go, a hunting for bonnets and penetrating gazes

Mary Ann Low 1877 - State Library of Queensland
Out of copyright

This is Mary Ann Low.  According to State Library of Queensland  she is "photographed wearing a bonnet decorated with feathers and lace ties. She has a cameo brooch on the neck of her dress."

Here's another photo of her with her daughter many years later. 
NB. Hand on shoulder....ooh...and shawl...

Mother and daughter Mary Ann Low and May Scott in 1927
State Library of Queensland
Out of Copyright

I don't know much about Mary Ann Low but I did find an article in the Brisbane Courier on Trove from 19 June 1929.  It said 

"The late Mrs. Mary Ann Low, whose
death took place at her residence at
Nanango on June 3, was 86 years of
age. The deceased was bom in
Staithes. in Yorkshire, England, and
arrived in Brisbane in 1877. She lived
for 27 years in the Bundaberg district,
when she moved to Nanango, where
she had since resided for 22 years.
Her husband predeceased her some
years ago. She leaves one daughter
(Mrs. J. W. Scott,  Nanango), ten
grand-children, and 13 great grand-
children."

I did find another beautiful bonnet....

State Library of Queensland.
Undated.
Portrait of Mrs. Gertrude Steindl (nee Brennan), wife of Lee Steindl, and baby. Mrs. Steindl is wearing an embroidered blouse and a hat swathed in fabric. Baby is wearing a dress and bonnet. Photograph taken by Olesen and Strong of Maryborough.
copyright expired
Isn't it a beauty?  

Who is or rather was Gertrude Steindl with such impeccable taste in hats?

Here she is with her sisters.....NB another hand on shoulder...

From State Library of Queensland.
Portrait of five sisters (nee Brennan) who all married into the Steindl family.  At top left is Gertrude Steindl, who married Lee Steindl of Maryborough in 1905. At bottom left is Nellie Steindl, and one of the other sisters is Winnie Steindl Photograph taken by Vandyck Studio of Bourbon Street, Bundaberg. Undated.
Copyright expired.
Here is Gertrude on her wedding day ...are the men wearing gloves????  I think they must be.  Their hands can't be that white...surely????

 State Library of Queensland
Lee Steindl and his wife Gert are pictured with their attendants on their wedding day. The groomsman pictured on the left is Tony Steindl from Bundaberg.
April 1905
Copyright expired.
Lee Steindl's father owned a brewery and his obituary in the Brisbane Courier 24 May 1913 read as follows:

"Being of a most liberal disposition, he freely supported various bodies in the town financially, churches of all denominations, sporting bodies, and other societies sharing in his. generosity. He was a member of the Pastoral and Agricultural Society, the Chamber of Commerce,the Maryborough Jockey Club, a life member of the H.A.O.B. Society, and patron of the Wide Bay Rowing Club, but of late years, owing to ill-health, he took no active part in their affairs."

State Library of Queensland
Louis Steindl was born in Austria and came to Australia to live. He settled in Maryborough and became the proprietor of a brewery from 1876.
Copyright expired.

Can we just see that baby girl one more time and make sure that the taste in hats does not diminish with the worry of child-rearing?

State Library of Queensland
Gert Steindl with her little daughter.  Maryborough. ca 1907
Copyright expired.
Phew!

Now to some more sombre bonnets...

State Library of Queensland
Willhemina, youngest daughter of Rev. Charles Ogg, in mourning dress with and elaborate black lace bonnet, lace collar and cuffs, and a brooch.
Copyright expired.

Please note how Wilhemina spells her name.  I wasted a lot of time looking for WilheLmina...silly me.  Wilhemina was born in 1878 (according to the Qld BDM index and if I have the right family of Oggs and her mother was Agnes McKellar).  Whilst the State Library says this photo is ca 1880, I think it is more likely to have been taken later as Wilhemina looks a bit older than 2 years of age and a bit older than seventeen which is how old she was when her father died.  But I am happy to be corrected if I've got my Wilheminas mixed up or my Oggs mixed up.

State Library of Queensland
Rev. Charles Ogg ca 1880
Copyright expired
Look!

It's a beard!!

Wilhemina's father Rev. Charles Ogg died 10 April 1895 and his obituary in the Brisbane Courier read as follows:

"Mr. Ogg, who had attained the ripe'age of 77 years, had been a resident of Queensland for nearly forty years, and was the father of the Presbyterian Church in this colony. Born in Arbroutha Scotland, he after receiving a sound education at the parochial school, proceeded to the University, and studied both at Edinburgh and Glasgow, obtaining high honours in Latin and Greek at the latter college. He came out to New South Wales in 1854, and was ordained at Sydney. He arrived in Moreton Bay two years later, and shortly after formed the Ann-street charge, of which he had the spiritual oversight up to the day of his death. In the early days he travelled a good deal throughout the colony, fulfilling the duties of a minister
of the Presbyterian Church ; but of late years he seldom went far afield. Mr. Ogg leaves a widow and a family of five daughters and four sons."

Speaking of the other sons and daughters....Look!  

I have a trio for you.

Son and two daughters of Rev. Charles Ogg. Both girls are wearing skirts embellished with frills and gathers, and have lace cuffs and bows at the neck.
ca. 1879
Copyright expired. 
Bingo.  I've done it.  Penetrating gazes - check, beard, check, trio, check, gloves, check, bonnets, check, siblings, check, wives, check, hands on shoulders, check.

Not satisfied?  Head over to Sepia Saturday for more....

Comments

Ann ODyne said…
oh oh oh the HATS in that wedding group (never mind the men's gloves), and that baby is so cute.
thanks for the pleasure and the information.
Well done, checked all the boxes alright and with some great photos. Love those hats!
Little Nell said…
Ok - you win I think. More boxes ticked than the rest of us Sepians. What a splendid gallery it was too; very enjoyable.
Bob Scotney said…
What a superb post with so many fascinating photos - it's so difficult to decide which one I like best.
Staithes is a village on the east coast of Yorkshire quite close to our home and is noted for its connection with artist. A beautiful place.
Alex Daw said…
Oh Ann I'm so glad you enjoyed it. I do like a good hat and was so chuffed to have found these. The ones in the wedding photo are a bit like a mini roof top garden aren't they?
Alex Daw said…
Thanks Jackie. I was rather chuffed I have to confess. :)
Alex Daw said…
Dear Little Nell. It was a good prompt wasn't it? We got some great posts this week I think.
Jofeath said…
Wonderful photos you've found in the Qld State Library, and great research and commentary on them. By the way, I have Daw ancestors, but they were from London as far as I can tell, although I haven't managed to get back beyond the death of John Daw, plumber and glazier, in London in 1802.
Alex Daw said…
Dear Bob - well I know which one I like the best - that bonnet SWATHED in fabric. Sort of like me after elevenses - swathed in bonhomie. Thanks for the info re Staithes - I feel I need to know more about Yorkshire. I suspect some of my ancestors may have been "sent away" to Yorkshire. They were teachers there in Roberttown/Liversedge. One of them got married in Mirfield. There must have been upright aunts with proper bonnets to keep them on the straight and narrow, I'm thinking, after their troubling behaviour in Hampshire.
Alex Daw said…
Dear Jo - thanks for your kind comments. I was a bit hesitant at first about going down this path but I'm so glad I did. Now I know a bit more about Queensland's history and I found a great hat to boot :) My husband's Daws come from a place called Bradninch in Devon. The surname does seem to come from around that county or nearby. Our mob were ag labs or worked in the paper mills. Later, in Australia, they became dairy farmers, butchers and fruit farmers.
Unknown said…
Some of those dresses and hats look like they're made from dryer vent hose...collapsible stuff, if you get my drift. The mourning hat on Willhemena Ogg is incredible; looks like something once alive, now stuffed...hmmmm
Brett Payne said…
Lovely example of an 1870s portrait that first one, complete with embroidery that would become even more common in the 1880s. Nice selection of hats in your contribution this week too.
Oh my! That hat looks like a layer cake. A wonderful chocolate layer cake covered with icing!
diane b said…
Well done ! So many ticks for you. Loved these old photos and the stories. The dresses and bonnets are amazing.
Alex Daw said…
Thanks Deb...they are something else aren't they?
Alex Daw said…
Thanks Brett...I really enjoyed putting this post together.
Alex Daw said…
It does look good enough to eat doesn't it?! :)
Alex Daw said…
Thanks Diane. They are amazing aren't they. I just adore the first one with the baby. Can you tell? ;)
Gertrude had such flair!!
Great find!!
:)~
HUGZ
Alex Daw said…
We should wear hats more often when we drink tea.
Alex Daw said…
Gertrude will never be forgotten !
Alex Daw said…
Gertrude will never be forgotten !
Alex Daw said…
Gertrude will never be forgotten !
Alex Daw said…
We should wear hats more often when we drink tea.
Prufockster said…
Gertrude Kathleen Steindl nee Brennan was a cousin of mine. She was from the same Brennan family involved in Brennan & Geraghty's store in Maryborough - now a National Trust museum store. The child in the photos is likely to be Vera Gertrude Steindl, born about 1905.

Popular posts from this blog

31 Things to do in August for National Family History Month

NFHM Blogging Challenge - Week 1

Merry Month of May Movie Meme