Saturday 27 March 2010

Weekend Reflection - Now look here


The book "The Birth of Sydney" was edited by Tim Flannery who wrote the introduction. The magnifying glass was willed to my father by Olive Sylvia Annie Cole (1888- 1987), his mother's spinster sister.



Left: Olive standing on the left in 1924 aged 36
Right: Olive in 1979 aged 91

A member of the Weekend Reflection community.

32 comments:

Janet said...

How absolutely special, special!!

Lois said...

Olive was a beautiful woman and it appears from these pictures quite happy! What a wonderful memento.

Unknown said...

Nifty glass, nifty lady. Handsome family. You come from good stock.

jabblog said...

Super photographs and what a lovely and very special memento.

Anonymous said...

Funny the image "spinster" conjures up; certainly not Olive. The term life-long bachelor doesn't operate similarly, that is until you add "who lived with his mother."

Woody said...

I agree with altadenahiker, Olive doesn't resemble a spinster in the left photo. She looks quite happy with her grandchild in the right shot. Cool story here. I love the magnifying glass and the reflection.

James said...

Great post. I really enjoy seeing photos and learning about people from bygone eras.

Anonymous said...

I enjoyed this post. I guess your family has been in Sidney for a few generations!

Clytie said...

A very wonderful, unique post. You are so blessed to have these pictures and the beautiful magnifying glass - and the history.

Julie said...

Stine, this branch of my family arrived in Australia in the 1860s, wandered around rural Victoria and rural NSW until settling in Sydney during WW1. My great-grandfather (the gentleman with the white beard) was a shop-keeper.

Julie said...

Altadenahiker (and others), Olive was a spinster in that she never married and had no "knowledge" of men. She was very short (4' 10"), fleet of foot and loved a gossip. She tended to her parents in their old age. The end was in sight for Olive when, aged 97, she ran for a bus and tripped on the concrete median strip. The child in the photo is my daughter, Olive's great grand-neice ... think!!

Anonymous said...

The woman next to your grandfather is? She looks different.

Joan Elizabeth said...

That glass is special. I like the way you have introduced the history but with great photos to match ... perhaps time to revisit my family history :-)

Julie said...

Andrew, aah ... noted ... but I need YOU to tell me in what way different, otherwise I am just perpetuating my own conjecture. The woman is my great-grandmother, Sarah Annie Cole, nee Evans (1866-1945).

Bruce Caspersonn said...

Well done Julie, it's good to see you honor those who have gone before you.

Regina said...

Wonderful post for honoring the family.
Great reflections Julie

VioletSky said...

That magnifying glass is wonderful - and strong!
Including the photos of the original owner is a nice touch or reflection, too.

Mary Ann said...

This post provides lovely proof that photographs are a kind of magic. I love looking into the faces of the past.

Anonymous said...

Your grandmother certainly looks part something. I would opt for part Aboriginal but something is niggling at me and I am not sure. It is the nose of course. I have seen the exact same nose but I can't recall who it was attached to.

Ann said...

wonderful idea, wonderful history.

Brickpits Ring Walk, Homebush.

Hilda said...

A beautiful reflection about history and family, Julie.

aspiritofsimplicity said...

oh how wonderful and special that you have this piece of your family history. I love the way words look and your photo of the words through the glass is very nice.

diane b said...

How interesting. Everybody's history is exciting and I love reading about them. A grand old photo and magnifying glass.

Yolanda said...

Another interesting and clever way to present a reflection... it speaks volumes!

Beth Niquette said...

How perfectly creative you are. This is truly unique.

Wonderful choice for Weekend Reflections!

Irene said...

Interesting photos! Well done Julie!

Anonymous said...

I love your creative vision Julie. Excellent shots.

Rune Eide said...

A unique way of interpreting reflection. Very well done.

Kat said...

What an intriguing post. Love the glimpse into the past given by old photographs, and your use of the family keepsake for the reflection shot is outstanding. Nicely done! Kathy

Killara girl said...

a great post on the reflections of yesteryears. I have a feeling my daughter would like your blog...she's always wanted to go to Australia and she's now talking of becoming an Embassador, or something political where she can travel.

Killara girl said...

oh i just thought of something, now that you posted a book of Australian history, do you remember a book i think it was called 'dreamtime' about the songs of the aboriginals, written in the late '80s. i haven't been able to find the book i'm thinking of.

Unknown said...

What a clever and wonderful post! Well done indeed, Julie!