A Significant Photographic Cataloguing Project

 

Fronticepiece from an Album
of Carte-de-visite Photographs
from the Collection. Dated 1881

My Blogs will be taking a break over the Winter months while I attempt to complete a significant photographic cataloguing project. 

I now have a reasonably final count of 8,326 photographic images which includes 1,824 colour slides, and 1,056 photographic negatives. The photographs date from the 1850's through to the 1980's, glass negatives that date from 1903 to approx 1918, and nitrate negatives dating from 1919. They chart not just family and friends over this period, but also a considerable emphasis on farming activites through the years, family events and special occasions, holiday travel, buildings, general scenes, and also a small but significant collection of photographs relating to early 1920's to mid 1920's Ministry of Works projects, my Grandfather then being employed for the Department as a Mechanical Engineer. 

Having such a large collection of family photographs, slides and negatives, I have done my best to bring some order into what was a rather disjointed collection. While many photos were in albums a great many were not identified in any way which made searching for people, places, dates, and events extremely difficult and time consuming. 

A Re-touched Glass Ambrotype
of my Great Great Grandmother.
Dated circa 1858

For seventeen years I worked in an Archive as a Photographic Archivist, also building and maintaining their website along with the creation of a number of useful databases. Without this cataloguing and computer experience I doubt I would have had the skills or determination to tackle such a monumental project. It is only now that the true benefits are beginning to emerge in regards to both easily finding images and also saving me a considerable amount of search time. My feeling also is that having fully catalogued the collection I am ensuring that it will be more useful and relevant in the future. And simply recording known information about photos will ensure that further information is not lost over time. This was especially important in regards to myself having a good knowledge of the overall collection as well as being virtually the last person alive who would actually recognize many people or events. I also appear to have extremely good recall of images, perhaps something I learnt in my previous career. And while I had an early book record for one large album, and which pre-dated having a computer, this did not exactly make searching any quicker.

Glass Negatives dating back to 1903 

My collection consists of many old photograph albums, board mounted photos, unmounted photos, slides, and glass, nitrate and rather more modern cellulose negatives. This is how I attempted such a daunting cataloguing and preservation project which may also aid others in undertaking such a process and without the need to spend a vast sum of money.

Photographic Cataloguing Procedures

1) Album and Photo Preparation :

This involved ensuring that all photos in old albums were secure. As traditional "lickable" photo corners are no longer available I imported photo corners from China (Aliexpress) and while these did not stick perfectly when turning pages a wipe with a non-toxic glue stick did the trick. While many photos had been pasted into the albums my preference is to be able to safely remove photos which definitely makes subsequent scanning easier and reduces the chances of toxic glue affecting the images. For loose photos I sorted these into approximate date order and placed them, using my photo corners, in acid free photo albums which I purchased from a commercial retailer. But I also often found some unused (and very good quality) acid free photo albums in charity shops. For photos in highly acidic "sticky page" albums I carefully removed them (where possible) without damaging the photos and then placed these in acid free albums.

For board mounted photographs I purchased acid free tissue to attach to the back of each photo and fold it over so it covers the image and provides some protection from rubbing. All board mounts were then placed in storage boxes.   

2) Album and Photo Numbering :

I then sequentially numbered all albums, in my case relating to the family collection they related to, eg "Dyk1", "Dyk2", "Dyk3" etc but any consecutive numbering sequence would have done. All images were then sequentially numbered within those album numbers, e.g.; Dyk.1.1, Dyk1.2, Dyk1.3 etc. Likewise, I sequentially numbered all board mounted photos, i.e., "BM1", "BM2" and so on.

Slides in their original metal case

3) Slide Scanning :

In this day and age, scanning of slides is the only realistic way to make use of small 35mm slides. But also, my old Agfa, Perutz and Hanimex slides were visibly degrading with significant colour shifts and "graininess" also becoming evident. Conversely my old Kodak colour slides have, by and large, survived the years extremely well. I do however have a number of Kodak Ektachrome slides (designed for low light conditions) from 1957 that have turned a reddish hue. Thank goodness for the scanner "Restore" function which did an acceptable job. But all this degradation aligns with what I have read about the stability of various slide brands, others having encountered the self same issues. So scanning was the only realistic long-term option before any more damage occurred. 

I personally bought a professional grade Epson V800 scanner as I had previously used this model in my archival career, but these can be expensive and the scanning process is quite technical and time consuming. I must admit that aftrer purchasing a new computer with a better quality screen I later re-scanned all my 1,824 colour slides including to a higher resolution (4,200 dpi Tif scans) as I could see that I had made a less than perfect job the first time round. Practice makes perfect! Professional scanning was an option and most businesses offer a bulk discount but having my own good quality scanner is my own personal preference as I will still need to scan prints and negatives into the future so the large financial outlay was, for me, justified.

Negatives placed in Acid Free Paper Pockets

4) Negatives :

Old negatives are valuable and usually provide a better quality image than the original print. With 1,056 old negatives dating back to 1919 it has taken me some time to match these to existing photographs. But I also discovered that there were many negatives of printable quality for which there were no prints, perhaps being sent to family and friends. 

In regards to storage, I purchased acid free A4 sized paper (which was not hugely expensive) and simply cut the paper to size and folded it to create negative pockets. I could then write negative numbers, the corresponding print number, and brief image details on each pocket. And again, all negatives were sequentially numbered. I did not cut up negatives in strips as the original sequence assists in both scanning and in accurate date cataloguing. I then placed all my negative packets in a lidded box (with an air hole for ventilation) and lined with acid free paper. Ideally I need to separate the older nitrate (and high inflammable) negatives from the post 1950's safety film negatives as the acidic nature of the former may hasten the degradation of the latter. It is quite interesting that although the earliest negatives, which date from 1919, are now brittle and yellow, I can still obtain a reasonable black and white scan which I can then tone in Photoshop before printing out.

I have left my approx. 63 old glass plate negatives, and which date back to 1902, in their original boxes but these are now numbered and in rough date order.

An Example of Photographic Cataloguing
from Excell Database

5) Cataloguing :

Having numbered all my images, I then created an Excell database with columns for each album, the board mounts, the slides, and the negatives, systematically recording the following information :

1) A brief photo title / heading. If a person, I just used a title, initials and surname.

2) Date taken (or an estimated date range)

3) Full image details such as where taken, who or what appears in the photo, and any notes that came with the photo. I recorded the full names of people here but tried to be consistent in using the same name format for each person, likewise with events.

4) Related image numbers, in other words, any photos taken at the same time.

5) Duplicate images noted and their numbers.

6) Extant negatives or photo scans and reference numbers. 

6) The Database :

With individual Excell databases for each album or series of images, which I have printed off and placed with each album, I am now able to create one digital Master Database. And all this is backed up in various places, including in online cloud storage. A simple "Control F" search, while not as good as a fully searchable database which only throws up the results you want, still provides a perfectly cost-effective and acceptable result, even if you have to scroll through the results.  

An Original Album from Mid 1920's

7) Scanning :

While I have, as previously noted, scanned my colour slides and also my old glass negatives, I have no intention of scanning the individual photographs as this would be an extremely time consuming task with no great measurable benefit. But when images are subsequently used and scanned I can now store the digital files under their respective photo or negative numbers for ease of future reference.

Older circa post 1967 colour negatives have noticeably degraded, as have their respective prints, so scanning these would again serve little purpose for the time taken. The "restoration" and "Digital Ice" functions on scanners are good but unfortunately cannot perform miracles. Earlier 1960's colour negatives and prints are actually not too bad which is probably due to changes in chemical formulations and the standard of original processing.

Part of the Complete Collection

Conclusion :

So, while exceedingly time consuming, and in fact a few years of intensive work (hence my lack of Blogs over this period), I hope that my efforts will ensure that this collection will remain useful and a good source for research into the future. It has already greatly aided me in more easily finding photographs, both for myself and for others. But as can be seen, other than an expensive scanner, I have not spent a large amount of money on this project, simply a large amount of my time.

I will attempt to resume my Blog posts after Winter and have in fact been making notes of some interesting subjects that pop into my head, again almost always inspired by objects or ephemera in my own collections. I am happy to answer any questions and enjoy receiving feedback, either on the post or via Email by using the "Email Me" link in the right-hand menu bar. To avoid spam you will see when the Email link appears that you need to change the [at] to the "@" symbol.

I have, even over the last twelve months, received some fascinating emails from readers of my Blogs, both having alerted them to information of which they were unaware or where our research interests happily co-incide. It is feedback like this that makes the considerable time and effort taken to research and write these Blogs all the more worthwhile.

ANZAC Day Remembrance 25 Apr 2024 - The Winton and District War Memorial Gates

The Winton & District War Memorial Gate
Taken Apr 2024
[From my own collection]

The 25th of April 2024, known as ANZAC Day, will again mark that rare day each year when the two sovereign nations of Australia and New Zealand both commemorate those servicemen and servicewomen who have; 

"served and died in all wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations and the contribution and suffering of all those who have served."

Having been brought up in the rural district of Heddon Bush in Central Southland, being located at the southern end of New Zealand's South Island, I always found it curious that unlike many other country districts, even neighbouring Drummond, there was no "brick and mortar" War Memorial. The only reference to those who served in World Wars One and Two is a wooden "Roll of Honour" board installed in the local hall, but this only commemorates former pupils of the school so the names of many local servicemen were omitted. 

For many years I had felt that perhaps, after the misery and heartbreak of the First World War years, an absolutely crippling slump in post World War One farm returns, and also constant and prodigious wartime fundraising, that there had simply been a desire to "move on" and that the will to raise further funds had simply run out of steam. There had also been very generous monetary and personal gifts to the district's Returned Servicemen who had definitely not been forgotten. But then I became aware of the fact that the Winton War Memorial Gates in Central Southland represent not just Winton but also "District[s]".  

A Pillar of the Winton
War Memorial Gate
[Source NZ History]

A plaque on one pillar of the memorial gate does in fact read; "Erected to the Memory of Those of Winton and District" while a plaque on the other pillar reads; "Who Suffered and Died in the Great War". But which districts the Memorial Gates represent is lacking and i'm sure that if asked, most people who pass here now would have no idea that the memorial related to anywhere else other than Winton. At least I now know that those Servicemen from not only Winton but also a number of districts in the area, and who gave their lives for King and Country, were in fact not forgotten. Perhaps it was felt that with a wider geographical area a broad commemoration without names would not only be more cost effective but also a tidier option with less chance of innacuracies or omissions. Had names been added there would unfortunately have been a great many and I daresay a much larger memorial would have been required.

A Pillar of the Winton
War Memorial Gate
[Source NZ History]

Winton and surrounding districts had in fact been actively commemorating ANZAC day in local Churches from the 25th April 1916. A movement to commemorate the landing of the ANZAC Forces at Gallipoli on the 25th April 1915 had started in Brisbane, Australia in early 1916, quickly spreading to New Zealand where the Premier was asked, and agreed, to declare a National half-holiday so that Memorial services could be held. 

Heddon Bush School children
commemorating ANZAC Day, April 1917
[Watson Family collection]

From the above photo we know that in April 1917 children at the rural Heddon Bush School commemorated ANZAC Day, being photographed with a large blackboard reading "Brave ANZACS's" with a New Zealand flag.  ANZAC Day would also commonly be commemorated annually at all Winton and district churches, district schools, at Moores Hall and / or the Army Drill Hall in Winton, and in various local country halls.  

On the 3rd February 1920 Winton unveiled Memorial Plaques at the Winton School, with wreaths being laid each year thereafter. But as with the Heddon Bush School Memorial board, this only commemorated Servicemen who had been former pupils of the School. The Winton Presbyterian Church also put up a "Roll of Honour" (and later also for World War Two) for all Church members who had served in the forces.

But from late 1920, and right througout the Dominion, the "War Memorial Movement" was "being taken up by the public with great enthusiasm". That today almost every township in New Zealand has a public war memorial indicates the success of the movement and the desire to honour not only the fallen but all who had served their King and country.

Various proposals for a Southland Memorial were informally put forward, with Mr Henry R. Wilson of neighbouring South Hillend (died 1972 aged 99 years) writing to "The Southland Times" in March 1920 with some radical but interesting thoughts and suggestions of which this is only an excerpt:

"At Thursday last’s meeting of the War Funds Association, eleven country districts being represented, little sympathy was shown to the idea of the proposed [Invercargill] memorial. Can townspeople wonder why ? The wishes or sympathy of rural residents was neither asked for nor considered. ... A tablet at school or athenaeum in a country centre is very well from the local point of view to keep in memory the brave fallen, but the frittering away of, in some cases, several hundred pounds, and enthusiasm in small inadequate effigies of troopers and small monuments, seen by but few, is injudicious and to be deplored. ... If country people are to subscribe they must see something tangible as the outcome. ... failing a general Southland monument, the bulk of the country people might erect one on Forest Hill,...which is Crown lands and easily seen from Riverton, Otautau, Nightcaps, Winton, Morton Mains and elsewhere.... "

It now transpires that the rural community of Heddon Bush had in fact initially desired a memorial of their own. But in early March 1921, and after having invited Mr Walker, the Mayor of Winton, to speak to the residents, there was a quite surprising development;

“…it was unanimously decided to fall in with the Winton scheme. Winton has decided to erect a clock tower, upon which will be inscribed the names of fallen heroes from the district. The proposed site is on the Railway reserve, which would be beautified and provide a suitable environment for the structure. The cost of the memorial (without the clock) would be about £1500.”   

Choosing to join with Winton was perhaps not surprising. Being only 21 kilometres from Heddon Bush, Winton had a suitable and very visible site readily available at no cost, was undoubtedly the primary commercial rural centre for most Heddon Bush residents, a proposed railway line from Winton to Heddon Bush had been fully surveyed as long ago as circa 1875 and was, even at this late date, still expected to be constructed, and more importantly, it meant being able to share the cost of a rather more substantial War Memorial with not only Winton but other rural districts which all made perfect sense. Likewise, neighbouring South Hillend only put up a World War One "Roll of Honour" board in their local school as late as June 1936 so appear to have quickly fallen in with the "Winton scheme" - hopefully with Mr Wilson's blessing! 

The Memorial Weeping Wych Elm tree in the
Winton Oval, planted to commemorate the
ANZAC Day Landings, circa 1915.
Taken Autumn, Apr 2024
[From my own collection] 

After the initial momentum, fund raising for the Winton War Memorial appears to have progressed rather slowly. The first published reference to active fundraising and plans for the Winton War Memoral is this report dated the 5th February 1924; 

"At a public meeting in Winton to discuss the form of Soldiers' Memorial to be erected, it was stated that nearly £200 was on hand for the purpose. It was unanimously decided to erect an arch-gateway, and plant memorial trees in the vicinity." 

But it appears that there was already a "memorial tree", a weeping wych elm, in the Railway Reserve, having been planted by Mr Robert Wilson, the Mayor of Winton from 1914 to 1915, to commemorate the ANZAC Day landings on the 25th April 1915. So the weeping elm (which is now a "listed" tree) can only have been planted in 1915 unless the term "Mayor" was used retrospectively, i.e., that he was Mayor at the time of the landings although this seems rather unlikely.  

As to why a "Clock Tower" did not eventuate is unknown and we now have an "arch-gateway". The local newspaper, "The Winton Record" would have kept residents well informed of developments and Winton Borough Council business but this valuable publication has not (yet) been digitized.

A report from the 20th March 1924 states that canvassing for donations had commenced and that; 

"a generous response has been forthcoming. It is more than likely that the memorial will take the form of an arch gateway leading to the railway reserve, which will be beautified by the Town Council".

Over a year later, we note that during a meeting of the Winton Borough Council in August 1925, Councillor Gullick; "brought up" the matter of the Soldiers' Memorial. It was then; "...left in the Mayor’s hands to arrange a meeting of the collectors in order that some finality be arrived at." So obviously, plans for the memorial had still only progressed slowly.  

The Winton Memorial Gates in their original
pre-2009 location fronting the Bowling Green.
[Source : NZ History]

By March 1927 a "Sub Committee" had been constituted under the auspices of the Winton Borough Council, then meeting to discuss amended plans by Invercargill Architect Mr Edmund R.F. Wilson ;

"which provide for handsome memorial gates with two imposing stone pillars.... The gates are to be erected on the site at the stone steps leading to the railway reserve. " 

Exactly why an "arch-gateway" was no longer considered is unknown, perhaps just a modification suggested by the Architect in his "amended" plans, although the wrought iron gates when closed form an arch. The concrete pillars themselves would be substantial, each weighing between 6.5 to 7 tonnes. Interestingly, and I am sure by accident rather than by design, the chosen Architect, Mr Edmund R. Wilson, is in fact a brother of the afore-mentioned Mr Henry R. Wilson. 

The official unveiling and opening of the Memorial Gates on Great North Road, Winton, took place on ANZAC Day, being Thursday the 25th April 1929, with the ceremony being carried out by Chaplain Lieutenant-Colonel Dutton of Dunedin, a veteran of both the (2nd) Boer War and First World Wars. The Rev. Dutton had, in fact, a proud military heritage, being the son of a soldier and a Grandfather who fought at Waterloo. Dutton gave a long speech approriate to the occasion, only part of which includes these comments;     

"These tablets [of memory] will serve to tell future generations of the great sacrifices made by the young men of this generation. It has taken some years to complete the erection of the memorial at Winton and I am sure we are all very pleased that it has now been accomplished. The gates, walls and fences have been erected entirely by voluntary contributions and I wish to thank all those who have so liberally contributed to the fund....”

The Winton War Memorial Gates, taken looking west
and framing the Winton Water Tower, Oct 1958
[Photo credit : William Dykes] 

The Memorial Gate was erected with a decorative low concrete wall next to Great North Road, giving convenient access to the Winton Bowling Club grounds. Where the road curves round between the Memorial gate and the former Post Office was the 1902 Band Rotunda (in its original position beside the road before demolition in 1954 due to being a "traffic hazard"), being built to commemorate the 1899-1902 Boer War and the Coronation of King Edward VII. But in later years, with the gate being situated next to a now busy main road this proved inconvenient for ANZAC Day parades and gatherings and of course the band rotunda was long gone by then. Thus, as recorded by local Historian, the late Vince Boyle  ;

"The concrete 14 tonne twin pillars with an ornate iron gate were cut off at their bases and transported to Anzac Oval (80m south on Great North Road) and re-sited there on new foundations in time for Anzac Day 2009 at a cost of $35,928."

The Winton War Memorial pillars being moved,
January 2009
[Photo credit : Robyn Edie]

The new site further south on Great North Road is situated oblique to the road almost adjoining the former 1905 Winton Post Office building and with steps now leading down into the "ANZAC Oval". This is a small park with the centrepiece being not only the ornate Band Rotunda but also the afore-mentioned spreading Elm tree.  

And in fact, the historic old Winton Railway Station dating from 1871 (sadly demolished in 1983) had been situated at the north east corner of the park fronting a short access road, being an eastern extension of Brandon street which now leads to a soul-less car and truck park. Troops would be farewelled here prior to leaving for camp and military service overseas, many never to return. As, previously noted, which rural districts are represented by the Gates is not recorded but this was no doubt deliberately left open to include the area in general. Likewise, the amount raised by each district is not recorded and being a community effort, may never have been itemized in such a way. Comparing the photos from 1958 and today, I note that the dates "1914" and "1919" are no longer highlighted in a darker colour but otherwise the Memorial has been faithfully restored to how it was originally built. As to "1919", this was actually then considered the official end of the war as the Treaty of Versailles was only signed in June 1919. If you look closely at the wrought iron gateway (in the uppermost photo) when closed you will also notice that it also forms a Celtic style Cross.

The Heddon Bush School 
War Memorial Roll of Honour
[Photo credit : Vicki-Lynne Hubber]

And the "deficiency", if you would even call it that, of the Heddon Bush District not having their own War Memorial this was, as previously noted, partially rectified when a wooden Roll of Honour board was placed in the Heddon Bush School after World War Two but lists only those Heddon Bush School ex-pupils who had served and died in both World Wars. This board was paid for using the £39.8.0 profit from the 1949 Heddon Bush School 69th anniversary celebrations. Yes, an odd date for a celebration but as some first day pupils were still living the community wished to celebrate the occasion with them. The board would later be transferred from the school to the old Heddon Bush hall and is now in the new hall opened in 1964. I recall it hanging high up on the wall, where it still hangs to this day, but I personally never took much notice of it and I do not recall at any time that it was given any particular official ANZAC Day recognition. As to South Hillend, their school closed some years ago and they no longer have a local hall so am unsure of the location of their World War One & Two Rolls of Honour for former pupils. Unfortunately the Kia Mate Koa roll of Southland War Memorials and locations is no longer available online.

But I now know that the service and sacrifice of those from not just Winton, but also from surrounding Districts, are commemorated by the Winton & District Memorial Gates so these now hold a deeper meaning for me. Winton has, in fact, a number of war related Memorial Rolls of Honour and plaques, some being viewable in public areas. 

Last but not least, I must acknowledge the work of the late Ann Robbie (died Jan 2023) for documenting not only these but in fact all of Southland's War Memorials (around 420) as well as her work in restoring a number of memorial boards and rolls of honour. The late Iain Davidson (died Nov 2023), another Southlander, also deserves equal recognition for his work in researching and documenting the lives of a great many local servicemen as well as his invaluable and tenacious work in identifying servicemen in old photographs. I am aware that Andy Macdonald is now progressing Iain's work.    

Any further information is welcome and my email link appears in the right hand menu bar. As to which "Districts" the Winton War Memorial gates represent most likely includes the following (being districts in the immediate area who do not have their own district War Memorial) :

- Lochiel

- Oreti Plains

- Heddon Bush

- Dunearn

- South Hillend

- Kauana

- Otapiri

- Hokonui

- Springhills

- Tussock Creek

"They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old :

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning

We will remember them."

From "For the Fallen" by Laurence Binyon (1914)

All Rights Reserved 

Sources & Acknowledgements:

- Papers Past, National Library of New Zealand  

- New Zealand History, NZ Ministry for Culture & Heritage 

- "Tales of the Turi 1984 - 1984", by M. Cairns & F.H. Plunkett

- The Cyclopedia of New Zealand [Otago & Southland Provincial Districts] (held by the writer)
- Invercargill Public Library Reference Library (and their very helpful Librarians).
- Watson Family History, 2022 (held by the writer)
- Watson Family photo collection (held by the writer)
- Dykes Family photo collection (held by the writer)
- Personal photo collection
- Vicki-Lynne Hubber

Royal Related Discoveries (Part Three) - An 1858 Royal Wedding Order of Service & A Connection to "Big Ben"

 

Order of Service used at the Marriage
of the Princess Royal and the
Crown Prince of Prussia, 1858
[From my own collection]  

Continuing my series of "Royal Discoveries" [click Here to read the First Instalment], this Blog relates to a small hard-covered booklet entitled "The Form of Solemnization of Matrimony" including a "VR" cypher, crown and date with border printed in gold leaf on the front cover. Found in 2001 in a bookshop in Dunedin, New Zealand, this has truly proved to be what would be termed a "sleeper", not being identified for what it was and priced accordingly at only NZD$15.00 [About UK£7.50].

The Princess Royal & the Crown Prince of Prussia
at the time of their Wedding, 1858
[From my own collection]

It is in fact a hard bound copy of the spoken words used during the marriage at The Chapel Royal, St James' Palace, London on the 25th January 1858, of The Princess Royal, Victoria Adelaide Mary Louise (Eldest Daughter of Queen Victoria) and HRH Prince Friedrich Wilhelm Nikolaus Karl (Crown Prince of Prussia and later Father of The Kaiser). The "VR" in gold is Queen Victoria's personal cypher along with the Crown. All attendees at the service would have had been given a copy of this booklet to allow them to follow the order of service, with those words spoken by the Royal couple also being highlighted in red.

The Wedding of the Princess Royal &
the Crown Prince of Prussia, 1858.
A watercolour by Efron S. Lundgren
[Source : Royal Collection Trust] 

The inside of the booklet included a hand written name in cursive script, reading "B Hall", also with the date of the wedding. With this information I wrote to the Royal Archives at Windsor Castle in 2005, receiving a most helpful reply from their Senior Archivist, Miss Pamela Clark. She wrote that, having checked the extant guest list;

"the only persons called Hall listed were Sir Benjamin Hall, Chief Commissioner of Works, and his wife, Augusta....." and that; ...presumably there were other people present as well as the guests, such as the clergy, choir and musicians, and I am afraid that we do not have their names."

She did in fact also direct me to The National Archives who held the records for the Lord Chamberlain's Office, being responsible for arranging Royal weddings. I did not however pursure this option as this would have incurred a charge. But, as detailed below, the association with the above-named Sir Benjamin Hall appears now to have been conclusively confirmed. 

How this booklet came to end up in New Zealand is rather interesting and also accounts for how it had slipped into obscurity. The "Newport Public Libraries" located within the County of Monmouthshire in Wales (United Kingdom) evidently disposed of a quantity of books from their storage stack, stamping them "Discarded from stock". This also accounts for a mark on the bottom left of the cover where a library number had been affixed. The discarded books, including the 1858 Order of Service, were then (from memory) purchased by a Welsh second hand book shop owner. Their entire stock was  subsequently sold to the owner of "Albatross Books", a second hand book dealer based in Dunedin, New Zealand. This large stock of books was then shipped half way around the world to be sold in their shop, an advertisement at the time alluding to the dealer having bought a stock lot of books from the UK. 

And it was in this bookshop, and while looking at these books, that I discovered "The Form of Solemnization of Matrimony" although even then I didn't appreciate its full historic significance. But i've always had a keen eye for interesting and unusual items.

Sir Benjamin Hall, 1st Baron Llanover
[Source Wikipedia]

But it is only now that I have made one further discovery relating to the booklet's provenance. Research confirms that the above-named Sir Benjamin Hall (1802 - 1867), and who attended the 1858 Royal wedding with his wife Augusta, was a Civil Engineer, the first Commissioner of [Public] Works serving from 1855 to 1858, elevated to the peerage as "Lord Llanover" in 1859, and then served as Lord Lieutenant of Monmouthshire from 1861 to 1867. Through his wife Augusta, a Welsh Heiress, he inherited the Llanover Estate in Monmouthshire which is just only under twenty miles from Newport being where the booklet ended up in their public library. The Hall's resided at Llanover Hall just east of Llanover and while this grand home was largely demolished in 1936, one range remains, now being known as "Llanover House" with the estate gardens regularly opening to the public. But the 1858 Order of Service will have, for some years, resided here at Llanover Hall in Lord Llanover's library. 

Llanover House, taken late 1800's
[Source : People's Collection, Wales]

One would also assume that other books from Hall's library (Lord Llanover died in 1867 and his wife Augusta in 1896) also ended up at an indeterminate date at the Newport Library. However, back in 2001 I was not, at the time, checking the stock lot of purchased books for any indication of a former provenance.

"The Great Bell", commonly known as "Big Ben"
after Sir Benjamin Hall, Commissioner of Works.
[Source : Public Domain]

Rather interestingly, Sir Benjamin Hall, and during his tenure as Commissioner of Public Works, also oversaw the later stages of the rebuilding of the British Houses of Parliament including the casting and installation of the 13.8-tonne hour bell, "Big Ben" (actually correctly termed "The Great Bell") in the clock tower, a name which is commonly attributed to him. An article in "The Times" newspaper of the 22nd October 1856 would appear to conclusively confirm this attribution; 

“All bells, we believe, are christened before they begin to toll, and on this occasion, it is proposed to call our king of bells ‘Big Ben’ in honour of Sir Benjamin Hall, the president of the board of works, during whose tenure of office it was cast.” 

Reportedly being a rather tall gentleman probably also accounted for the title.

Sir Benjamin Hall, Lord Llanover
From an original pre 1867 photograph
[Source : People's Collection Wales]

Having formerly worked in an Archive, I know that provenance is very important and in this case I have managed to establish beyond any reasonable doubt not only the historical authenticity of the Order of Service, but also the original ownership of this item, and of its subsequent ownership history. From an initial inquiry to the Newport Central Library they had no knowledge of having taken over Hall's library. I think if this had been a significant bequest that they would be well aware of this fact and still have holdings from such a learned and accomplished gentleman's library. Mr Clauzon, their most helpful Reference Librarian was going to investigate further with a retired staff member but I have heard nothing more since then. Should any more information come to hand I will of course update this Blog.

While still not by any means a hugely valuable booklet it is however nice to own an item that had been used by a guest who attended the 1858 Royal wedding and to discover something of the rich and varied life of the original recipient. 

All Rights Reserved

Acknowledgements for Valued Assistance :

- Mr Lionel Clauzon, Reference Librarian, Newport Central Library, Wales (2024)

- Miss Pamela Clark, [former] Senior Archivist, Royal Archives, Windsor Castle, UK

Reference Sources :

- Personal collection

- Royal Archives, Windsor Castle, UK

- Royal Collection Trust

- Llyfrgell Ganolog Casnewydd / Newport Central Library, Wales

- Casgliad y Werin Cymru / People's Collection Wales

- Wikipedia

- Various Internet resources

Royal Related Discoveries (Part Two) - Queen Mary, Queen Victoria's Dinner, & Empress "Sisi"

 

H.R.H. Princess Victoria Mary of Tech, c.1896
[From my own collection]

HM Queen Mary

Continuing my series of "Royal Discoveries" [Click Here to read the first instalment], sometimes, being very knowledgeable on a subject and having a good photographic memory can be a distinct advantage. In 2006 and while wandering round a large antique shop on New Zealand's South Island, and which was literally groaning with a vast array of chinaware, glassware and other varied objects d'art, a small mounted photo in a cabinet, and being of an elegant woman, caught my eye. Set in a gold coloured metal mount and fixed onto a blue and embossed velvet backing, it included hand written notes where someone had tried to identify the lady as a possible family member.

The Original Cabinet Card
Portrait of Princess Mary of Teck,
later to become Queen Mary. 
[Source : Wikipedia]

But I knew instantly that it was an earlier photo of the late Queen Mary, wife of King George V. The photograph was in fact taken around 1893 at the time of her marriage and while still Her Serene Highness, Princess Victoria Mary, of Tech she would, after her marriage, be styled Her Royal Highness, the Duchess of York. Brought up in Darmstadt, Germany, Princess Mary (who was known by her family as "May") was the daughter of a German Nobleman, the Duke of Tech and his wife, Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge, who was in fact a great grand daughter of King George III. Being perhaps rather wicked, it was only after paying for the item that I enlightened the Dealer as to the correct attribution whereupon he definitely looked decidedly downcast. Had he recognized this royal personage that would (and knowing the prices charged by this particular shop) at least have doubled the price. To be honest, I was surprised that such an established Dealer had not made the connection himself. Knowledge is everything so simply, "Caveat Venditor" - meaning "Let the Seller Beware"! 

As an aside, I have since noted an equivalent portrait of the Duke of York (late King George V) in exactly the same of style of gold mount but this example was then without the blue velour backing. So it was obvious that with a back support and also a small fitted rung (as mine does) they were both intended to be displayed as a pair, either propped up with their stands or hung on a wall. The photo of Queen Mary originally had a cover made from an early type of clear plastic, but as it had darkened with age I carefully removed it and while I still have it, replacing it might break it as it appears to be very brittle.

The printed menu for the dinner

given by Queen Victoria described

in this Blog, 15th May 1879

[From my own collection]

Her Majesty's Dinner

As to my second "Royal Discovery", prior to 2012 a New Zealand online auction item caught my attention, and I bid on what I knew was definitely an original six course menu card from a dinner given in May 1879 by Her Majesty Queen Victoria at Windsor Castle. Elaborately printed menu's were then the norm for large dinners and I actually thought nothing more of it. It was just a "nice to have" item with an undisputed Royal provenance.

Entry in Queen Victoria's Diary describing

the Dinner given for the German Empress,

at Windsor Castle on the 15th May 1879.

(as transcribed by Princess Beatrice)

[Source : Royal Archives]

Fortuitously, in 2012 Queen Victoria's Journals were digitized and placed online (initially for free) and I was quickly able to ascertain exactly who attended this dinner. It was in fact a grand dinner given by Queen Victoria in honour of the visit of  Augusta, Empress of Germany from 1871 to 1888 and Consort of the German Emperor William I. So this added rather more significance to my menu card. You can read my previous Blog about her visit HERE.

Empress Elizabeth "Sisi" of Austria,
the day of her Coronation as
Queen of Hungary, 1867
[Source : Wikipedia]

HM Empress Elizabeth ("Sisi") of Austria

As to my final discovery for this blog post, this was an interesting unidentified find in a large antique store on New Zealand's North Island. Just to be clear I did not wish to purchase this item but informed the owner of the shop of the correct attribution and how I knew this to be correct. He thanked me for this information and I imagine after confirming my attribution online he quickly upped the price.

The item was in fact a large framed portrait of Empress Elizabeth of Austria (1837-1898), now affectionally known as "Sisi". Having personally visited the Sisi Museum as part of a self-guided tour of the Imperial Apartments at the Hofburg, in Vienna, being the former Hapsburg Dynasty Royal Palace, and having bought a couple of colour portrait postcards of the late Empress, I had recognized her instantly. I do not recall if the above commonly used image was the exact one in question but it was definitely a monotone print.

Empress Elizabeth is in fact a fascinating woman and renowned for not just her famed beauty. Having been born into the Bavarian Royal family and while not of Austrian Hapsburg blood, she is in fact still greatly revered in Austria. Having married the Austrian Emperor and King of Hungary, Franz Josef I in 1854, Elizabeth never quite took to the restrictions of Royal court life imposed on her by the Viennese Court and increasingly embarked on travel as a means of escape, usually incognito to avoid any public attention. Her husband actually "indulged her wanderings", perhaps through fear of losing her altogether. While "emotionally distant" from her husband she bore him four children and while in later years they saw very little of each other, they corresponded frequently, "and their relationship became a warm friendship".   

A sensitive but highly intelligent and well-read woman of independent spirit, Elizabeth would be greatly mourned after her shocking muder at Geneva in 1898 at the hands of an anarchist. Her free-standing sarchophagus, along side that of her husband, may be visited, along with the sarchophagi of many other Austrian Royals, in the Imperial Crypt in the Capuchin Church in Vienna. Having also visited, I was horrified by the number of tourists taking flash photos and I felt no sense of serenity let alone peace and quiet. The "cult of Sisi", although now somewhat commercialized, ensures however that Elizabeth, a much loved Empress for 44 years and deeply mourned after her untimely death, will not be forgotten.  

How this Victorian era framed print of an Austrian Empress ended up in New Zealand might be a story in its own right but on my next visit to the antique store in question the framed print was nowhere to be seen. I hope it went to a good home.

All Rights Reserved

Sources :

- Personal collection

- Various Internet sources

- Wikipedia

The Absurdity of Such a Device - An Unofficial History of the "Pocket Telephone"

A Satirical Cartoon lampooning the
use of "Pocket Telephones", 1919

April the 1st would perhaps be a more appropriate day to look at the history of what we now call the "mobile phone". Not only was the first serious attempt at a "mobile telephone" considered fraudulent, cartoonists mocked the inconvenience, and indeed the absurdity, of such a device.

"Development of Wireless Telegraphy", 1906 

In early December 1906, the English "Punch" magazine, being a satirical publication renowned for lampooning both people and ideas, published a cartoon as part of their "Forecasts for 1907" series ridiculing the idea of "mobile" communication. Drawn by Lewis Baumer, this cartoon portrays a man and a woman seated in London's Hyde Park, both individually communicating using portable wireless telegraphy equipment. Note the antenna on their heads. The woman is receiving an amatory [expressive love] message and the man is receiving racing results. Both machines are merely small boxes but are capable of printing wireless messages on tape. As Telegraphy was then the primary and fastest means of remotely sending short messages it is perhaps not unsurprising that Baumer envisaged a portable but wireless version of the Telegraph. As LED type screens did not then exist it would naturally be assumed that messages would need to be printed out and in fact such "telegraph" type techonology with messages printed onto a paper strip had already been invented. But for us today, this cartoon would be the closest one could then have possibly come to the idea of "mobile" text messaging using a portable device.

A "Marconi" Wireless Telegraph Receiver
manufactured from 1906 to 1912 

Although wholly in jest, the technology allowing oral messages to actually be sent and received via wireless had also already been invented. Guglielmo Marconi had demonstrated his wireless transmission device to the British Government as early as 1896 going on to make a successful transmission across the English Channel in 1899. So while such technology was not in everyday use it was at least well known. It is interesting that the cartoonist only envisaged that personal portable "wireless" communication would, in the future, be via the medium of printed messages and only receiving rather than transmitting. I very much doubt we would all wish to carry portable 'teleprinters'.

In 1908, Professor Albert Jahnke, along with the rather grandiosely named "Oakland Transcontinental Aerial Telephone and Power Company", claimed to have invented the first "wireless telephone", and duly filed a patent application. Incredulously, such was the disbelief that such technology would even be possible that the company were initially charged with fraud. Although all charges were dropped the technology was evidently still ahead of its time, required further development, or was not then commercially viable, and nothing more appears to have come of it. 

Francis J. McCarty testing his radiotelephone
Transmitter, San Francisco, Oct 1905

But curiously, I note another company, the "McCarty Wireless Telephone Company of Arizona" publicly advertising in April 1908 that they had no connection with the Oakland Transcontinental Company currently facing fraud charges and with the "arrest of the promoters". The McCarty company note that they are still; 

"...pursuing with its experiments to determine whether there is any practical or commercial value in wireless telephony... That spoken language can be transmitted through the medium of the atmosphere, and without the use of any other connection, is an established fact, but whether spoken words can be transmitted to such a distance as to make it a practical utility, is the question to be determined. It is this question that the McCarty Company is now engaged in trying to solve..." 

With the unfortunate death of the inventor and prime promoter, Francis McCarty, having occurred in May 1906, two of the McCarty Company's investors, bankers William and Tyler Henshaw, had contracted another then well-known inventor, Cyril F. Elwell, to review the potential worth of McCarty's patents. Elwell eventually concluded that the system's apparatus was incapable of ever being refined enough to become an effective radiotelephone system. The Oakland Transcontinental Company's work probably met a similar fate, no doubt not helped by the adverse publicity which would have scared off further investors, even if all charges had been dropped. While the technological hurdles yet to overcome were complex, slow progress would continue to be made, the potential this technology offering to aid communications being evident to all.  

Finnish Inventor Eric Tigerstedt, shown
here using radio equipment, 1915.

 

Now fast forward to 1917. The first serious contender at a "mobile" telephone appears to have been a patent filed for a "pocket-size folding telephone with a very thin carbon microphone" by Finnish Inventor, Eric Tigerstedt. But without seeing a photo of the design, his invention actually sounds more like the miniaturized "flip phone" of the 1990's, hardly the large "brick" 'Motorola' portable phone that would became commercially available in the 1980's. No further information about this device can be found.

"When We All Have Pocket Telephones" -
A cartoon drawn by W.K. Haselden
published in "The Daily Mirror"
on the 5th March 1919

Development of portable "wireless telephony technology" continued apace and it was only the following year in 1918 that Imperial Germany tested telephone technology on military trains. It should come as no surprise that the military had quickly forseeen the possibilities inherent in this new technology. 

In 1924, "Deutsche Reichbahn", the German National Railways under the Weimar Republic, began a public trial of wireless telephony on trains running between between Berlin and Hamburg. Evidently being successful, wireless telephony would then be introduced on other routes, the German company of "Zugtelephonie AG" [literally meaning 'train telephony') being founded in 1925 to manufacture and supply equipment for both the German National Railways and German Mail services.

Mobile Telephone usage as envisaged by
German Artist Karl Arnold, 1926

Little wonder that in 1926 the Munich based German satirical weekly magazine, "Simplicissimus", published a drawing by caricaturist Karl Arnold entitled "Berlin Wireless Telephony" showing people in the street using and carrying "mobile telephones". The text basically reads; "Presently at corner of Friedichstraße - Behrenstraße [Berlin].... good - wonderful - done - coming straight away". Prophetically, this cartoon published 98 years ago mimics the self same situation we can find ourselves in today and begs the question, has such technology always enriched our lives or have we become enslaved to it?

A fanciful 1957 comic strip from "UT Magazine"
portraying a "Tonton" (Uncle) at the Moscow Festival
calling his family in Paris on a "mobile" phone

Unsurprisingly, throughout the 1950's research into and development of a workable cellular "mobile phone" also took place in Communist Russia, specifically by Soviet Engineer and Inventor, Leonid Kuprayanovich. Shown below (at left) is the Inventor with his LK-2 "Radiofon" device weighing 3kg and dating from 1958. And at right his LK-3 device dating from 1961 now weighing only 70gm and which could be held in the palm of your hand. But note the now seemingly archaic "dial" on both versions so "Blackberry" phone type push button technology still had some way to go.

Leonid Kuprayanovich with his 1958 LK-2
"Radiofon" (at left) and his 1961 LK-3
palm-held version (at right)

The reason this phone never went into production is simply that the infrastructure was not yet in place for mass communication. A proposal had been put forward for ten "base" communication stations to be built in Moscow but the "party elite" appear to have cooled to the idea with development of the "Altai" Radio Telephone system then being progressed, this technology no doubt being easier and more cost effective to implement for wide spread usage. Without any further official support Kuprayanovich then went on to focus his considerable abilities on the development of medical equipment.     

The "Mansfield News Journal" of 18th April 1963
published an article accurately predicting the
widespread use of "Pocket" telephones
in the future.

In April 1963 the "Mansfield News Journal" of Ohio USA, published not only an article accurately predicting the features of the modern "flip" phone but also a photograph of what this may look like. The article stressed however that; "The phone is still in the development stage and far in the future" and that; "It's a laboratory development". Despite this, the various features available on moden day portable mobile phones were predicted with quite startling accuracy although I would perceive that the article would be need to be worded differently today when it comes to assumed household roles!; 

"...it's workable, allowing the carrier to make and answer call wherever he may be. Other telephones of the future includes a kitchen loud speaking telephone, and a visual image telephone. The kitchen instrument can be used as a regular telephone, a loudspeaking phone if the housewife happens to be busy preparing a meal, or as an intercom station for the home. The visual image telephone allows the parties to converse by way of a microphone and loud speaker while a miniature television camera transmits the image. The "TV phone" also will have a writer signature transmission system and a conversation tape recorder." 

The first commercially available
Mobile Phone, 1983 -
The Motorola "DynaTAC 8000X
with permanently affixed aerial.

It was not until 1973 that "Motorola" demonstrated their new cellular phone which weighed a whopping 2 kilograms (4.4 lbs). They had in fact already been designing "mobile" phones for cars but these were decidedly power hungry and anything but mobile in their own right. The first commercial cellular network, as we would know it today, was in fact only launched in Japan in 1979. 

Finally, "Motorola" launched the first commercially available mobile telephone in 1983, being the "DynaTAC 8000X". A full charge would take 10 hours with only 30 minutes of talk time. The cost of the phone was also prohibitive, let alone the ongoing subscription to connect to a cellular network. This was initially restricted to main centres and even then with rather patchy reception. In early 1994 I recall a decidedly pushy and obnoxious Real Estate agent standing right in front of me dropping her "brick" mobile phone onto a concrete pathway and I will always remember the look of horror and then dread on her face as she picked it up wondering if her expensive toy was broken. I did rather think at the time that this was a good example of karma! But if you still have an early old "brick" phone it could now be worth a dollar or two. 

A thick & chunky but lightweight "Pantech"
South Korean made analogue
Flip-Phone manufactured c. early 2000's.
[From my own collection]

Post 1983, technology has continued to progress in leaps and bounds, the phones themselves having shrunk, many more options and applications (apps) have transformed usability, while performance and battery life have markedly increased. And now even the screen on the latest "flip" phone folds. But looking back to how cartoonists 100 years ago futuristically viewed "mobile" telephones into the next century, it leaves me wondering what advances we shall make over the next century - and whether this will truly benefit us or in fact hinder us? Most likely a good measure of both. 

All Rights Reserved

Sources :

- Images (unless otherwise stated) from Public Domain

- Wikipedia

- Various Internet resources

- "The Guardian" newspaper

- "Отечественные Мобильники 50-Х"