australiantownandcountryjournal4thaugust1900

Students of Victorian photo art history might find this of interest - this looks suspiciously like a tourist set up studio style photo - they were becoming very popular in the late Victorian era. Clues are: the unruffled hats and tidy bows, neatly turned out fashionable day wear dresses, with lace, women in stays and perhaps even corsets, and not sports clothing. The group shows no signs of exertion, or cold weather sporting. Very similar to other tourist photos using false scene backdrops in studios - EX: families sitting in boats with tropical ocean scene behind them. British Queen Alexandra & daughters made one of that style in late 1880s - Also suspect is the difference in perspective and resolution from the men and buildings in the background in respect to the subjects in the foreground. Wonder if anyone else noticed - Pam Eisenberg, photo archivist - OC Register, Santa Ana, CA

Dominus, your observation sounds right on target. And it makes the photograph even more interesting. No wonder some of them look so grim - this photo op doesn't seem to be much fun for some.

DominusVobiscum - You are probably right. Posed. Some other images in this collection were also used in contemprary postcards. This looks like it would make a good postcard to me.

The names I have put in the tags are identified in the book Charles Kerry's Federation Australia by David P. Millar, First published 1981 by David Ell Press Pty. Ltd.

This photograph appears as plate No. 48 in the book; Ladies' toboggan race.

The concealed male behind Amy Pattinson, however, is not mentioned in the book's caption.

I have some doubts that it is a studio shot as there is definitely snow built up on the toboggan. Take into account that this is an Australian shot - unlike the US or Canada for example, there are only a few places in Australia where it really snows, so you couldn't just go grab a wheelbarrow of snow and take it into your studio. For there to be snow on the toboggan they must have been up on the ski fields. I guess they could have been in a studio up at the snows...

I do agree that they are probably tourists and probably not actually going to be doing any tobogganing anytime soon!

amazing,,,reminds me of the Gold Rush where Charlie Chaplin was shoveling snow infront of the police station!

The woman in this photograph is my great grandmother, Maggie Wilson (nee Yan). Along with husband Jacob, they were the proprietors of the hotel at the time.

That snow is real deep! Wow

trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/71391288# - this pic appeared in the Australian Town & Country Journal on 4th August, 1900 (see 1st page of link). trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/198182287# - this pic also appeared in the Melbourne Leader on 11th August, 1900.

that's gotta hurt!

trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/71391288# - this pic appeared in the Australian Town & Country Journal on 4th August, 1900 (see 2nd page of link).

Classic!

Funny that the latest record is about 100m or so!

Hehe. They cold jump in the old days

The latest record is 239m. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World's_longest_ski_jumps

Nice Helmet ;o)