Thursday, April 30, 2015

ALICE AND FRIEND DROP IN ON AUSTRALIAN WONDERLAND

In his well illustrated book AUSSIE-OSITIES , cartoonist , book designer , author and reviewer Vane Lindesay, examined the Australian emerging identity  before Federation in  buildings, homes, hobbies and applied art. One section dealt with  genuine, creative bookmarks and the wide range of other items from  bus and  tram tickets, confectionary  wrappers , live matchsticks   inserted in books for  that   purpose and  left  there  for  many  years . While this blogger  was searching  books  for a  certain volume , out  dropped  this circa 1930s photograph  which   had  been   used as  a  bookmark . Writing on the  back says the  well  dressed   girl is  four year old  Elvie Cox.  She  is  holding sprigs of wattle in one hand   and the paw of a  Kangaroo on a leash in the other . A blanket  forms the  background, possibly taken  by a  travelling  photographer on Wattle Day . Another interesting old photograph  from our collection is the girl below dressed as Australia in a backyard  garden .