Hello Brenda, It really doesn't matter when Walsh Bros were in business, because they did a copy enlargement of the photo, which could have been twenty, thirty, fifty years old when they received it. I don't have them listed as photographers with a studio, but it could be one I missed (I was given two photographers last week in business in Melbourne for only one and two years, respectively). Just as we, today, borrow photos of our ancestors from newly found relatives, and get them copied, so in the past. And the people who enlarged and framed copy photographs did not neecssarily have a photographic studio. My great grandmother's photo was enlarged by a framer and "improved" with pastel and pencil. At the time the photo was taken, she had been very ill for several years and I think the person ordering the photo must have asked the "artist" to try to make her well-looking. So he filled out her cheeks, then he had to widen her nose to try and correct the comic effect he had produced, then he had to widen her jaw line to balance the new features, then he had to thicken her neck to hold up the heavier head, and, of course, had to alter the neckline of her dress to accomodate the new neck. The result? A woman with a fine-boned narrow face finished up looking like a wharf labourer. I can only believe that the person who paid for and accepted this travesty was happy with it, and had never seen the woman "in healthy flesh" themselves. I copied the enlargement so I could reproduce it if someone wanted the "healthy" grandma and removed all the pastel and watercolour additions (I was a professional photograph restorer} with the families' permission and revealed this beautiful fine-boned woman underneath. I've never trusted enlargements as true likenesses ever since. The difference was a shock. But at least we can now see resemblances to her in her descendants, because none resemble the "healthy" grandma. The original was taken late 1870 and the enlargement was done about 1910. Regards Ada At 15:52 07-02-04 +1100, you wrote: >Hi Everyone, > >Could somebody help me. I'm trying to identify a photo. It is of a gent >and appears to have been taken around 1870-90's by the style of his clothing. > >On the reverse of the photo is a label by WALSH BROS., Portrait Painters >& Enlargers, Geelong. > >Does anyone know what years this studio operated in Geelong? > >This photo appears to be an enlargement of an original photo as it notes: >Style: as is Size: 15 x 12. It was to be sent to S. E. Kennedy, Nhill >by July [if only they'd put the year] and it appears the sitter was the >Blacksmith at Kaniva. > >thank you, >Brenda > > >==== AUS-VIC-GEELONG-DISTRICT Mailing List ==== >Geelong & District Churches : >http://www.zades.com.au/geelong/gdchur.htm regards, Ada Ackerly, Melbourne, Australia formerly Ackerly DocuSearch

love your story of grandma with the 'healthy' face. we can all relate to it i think. my son has a computer programme which can alter stuff. my top lip is disappearing, lines are appearing both sides of my nose...he did a 'alteration' that i am MOST happy with. later on everyone will say what a young grandma....well......i can dream..... robyn. toowoomba. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ada Ackerly" <aackers@alphalink.com.au> To: <AUS-VIC-GEELONG-DISTRICT-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, February 08, 2004 7:16 AM Subject: Re: [GEELONG] help pls: Walsh Bros. Portrait Painters & Enlargers > Hello Brenda, > > It really doesn't matter when Walsh Bros were in business, because they did > a copy enlargement of the photo, which could have been twenty, thirty, > fifty years old when they received it. I don't have them listed as > photographers with a studio, but it could be one I missed (I was given > two photographers last week in business in Melbourne for only one and two > years, respectively). > > Just as we, today, borrow photos of our ancestors from newly found > relatives, and get them copied, so in the past. > > And the people who enlarged and framed copy photographs did not neecssarily > have a photographic studio. > > My great grandmother's photo was enlarged by a framer and "improved" with > pastel and pencil. At the time the photo was taken, she had been very ill > for several years and I think the person ordering the photo must have asked > the "artist" to try to make her well-looking. > > So he filled out her cheeks, then he had to widen her nose to try and > correct the comic effect he had produced, then he had to widen her jaw line > to balance the new features, then he had to thicken her neck to hold up the > heavier head, and, of course, had to alter the neckline of her dress to > accomodate the new neck. The result? A woman with a fine-boned narrow face > finished up looking like a wharf labourer. I can only believe that the > person who paid for and accepted this travesty was happy with it, and had > never seen the woman "in healthy flesh" themselves. > > I copied the enlargement so I could reproduce it if someone wanted the > "healthy" grandma and removed all the pastel and watercolour additions (I > was a professional photograph restorer} with the families' permission and > revealed this beautiful fine-boned woman underneath. > > I've never trusted enlargements as true likenesses ever since. The > difference was a shock. But at least we can now see resemblances to her in > her descendants, because none resemble the "healthy" grandma. The original > was taken late 1870 and the enlargement was done about 1910. > > Regards Ada > > > At 15:52 07-02-04 +1100, you wrote: > >Hi Everyone, > > > >Could somebody help me. I'm trying to identify a photo. It is of a gent > >and appears to have been taken around 1870-90's by the style of his clothing. > > > >On the reverse of the photo is a label by WALSH BROS., Portrait Painters > >& Enlargers, Geelong. > > > >Does anyone know what years this studio operated in Geelong? > > > >This photo appears to be an enlargement of an original photo as it notes: > >Style: as is Size: 15 x 12. It was to be sent to S. E. Kennedy, Nhill > >by July [if only they'd put the year] and it appears the sitter was the > >Blacksmith at Kaniva. > > > >thank you, > >Brenda > > > > > >==== AUS-VIC-GEELONG-DISTRICT Mailing List ==== > >Geelong & District Churches : > >http://www.zades.com.au/geelong/gdchur.htm > > regards, > Ada Ackerly, Melbourne, Australia > formerly Ackerly DocuSearch > > > > > ==== AUS-VIC-GEELONG-DISTRICT Mailing List ==== > Geelong & District and Bellarine Indexes : > http://www.zades.com.au/geelong/gdbksrc1.asp > http://www.zades.com.au/bellhs/bpnmsrc1.asp > >

Hi Ada, Thanks for that. You're right, the enlargement could have been done at anytime and as I don't have the enlargement I can't gauge when it was done. The photo I have appears to be the original as it is much smaller than the requested enlargement's dimensions on it's reverse. After having a close look at the Oval backing the photo is on, I can see that it has been trimmed - no doubt the original Studio's name was on the discarded portion of the backing. It looks like the origins of this photo will remain a mystery. Thanks Brenda ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ada Ackerly" <aackers@alphalink.com.au> To: <AUS-VIC-GEELONG-DISTRICT-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, February 08, 2004 8:16 AM Subject: Re: [GEELONG] help pls: Walsh Bros. Portrait Painters & Enlargers > Hello Brenda, > > It really doesn't matter when Walsh Bros were in business, because they did > a copy enlargement of the photo, which could have been twenty, thirty, > fifty years old when they received it. I don't have them listed as > photographers with a studio, but it could be one I missed (I was given > two photographers last week in business in Melbourne for only one and two > years, respectively). > > Just as we, today, borrow photos of our ancestors from newly found > relatives, and get them copied, so in the past. > > And the people who enlarged and framed copy photographs did not neecssarily > have a photographic studio. ........................................ > Regards Ada > > > At 15:52 07-02-04 +1100, you wrote: > >Hi Everyone, > >On the reverse of the photo is a label by WALSH BROS., Portrait Painters > >& Enlargers, Geelong. > >Does anyone know what years this studio operated in Geelong? > >thank you, > >Brenda