pens

more than just photo, or pen, this is a revelation of the timeless moment of expression

See a related blog post here: blog.photography.si.edu/2009/04/23/we-are-what-we-photogr...

fantastic composition and mood!

those might be Merino sheep

Either way - you don't class sheep, you class the wool - and that's usually done in the shed after they've been shorn. And yes Gill WildFlower, they are merinos.

trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/165189031/16809381# - this pic appeared in the Sydney Mail on 19th August, 1903...in a pictorial on Coree Station, near Jerilderie, in SW NSW. In the era before modern genetics, wool growers would select sheep for their breeding flocks by physically assessing a sheep's physical characteristics and its wool. This selection process was known as 'classing', and on the bigger studs it was conducted by a skilled classer who had an extensive knowledge of sheep breeding and wool production. Skilled classers were highly sought after, and some studs retained the services of particular classers over many years. The classing of sheep was a different activity to wool classing, which takes place in a shearing shed at the time of shearing. Per various newspaper items it appears that Mr W.J. Baker was classing the Coree flocks in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He's variously referred to as the 'sheep manager' and 'overseer' at Coree. Baker might well be the chap we see with the sheep in this pic. trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/97156113 - Country Life, 13th February, 1936...obit for Billy O'Brien, who was a noted earlier 20th century classer who worked at various points in NSW and QLD...once upon a time all the major studs would have had someone like Billy classing their sheep... trove.nla.gov.au/work/183005950 - NLA Fairfax collection pic of Billy here...evidently taken at the 1933 Sydney ram sales...

It is a very nice photo and they do make for a good looking group. Uncle Gaybo is yer man if you could contact him, he would have been there around then unless I am mistaken. Maybe he is even in there. The right hand parting is not the only one, that lad in the plimsolls or "tackies" as we called them in Limerick was in danger of the ire of the Christian Brothers for wearing those in the front row.

Second from right, middle row. Were's your jacket boy?! Great photo.

Swordscookie Swiftly checked an authoritative source (Wikipedia). Apparently Gay Byrne (famous Irish broadcaster) was born 5 August 1934, which'd make him only about 7 in 1941. I think that's a little younger than these chaps. And love tackies - have tagged for that...

Nick Stewart I wonder did he get in trouble, what with it being photo day and all?

Gaybo's older brother who died a few years back (can't think of his name just now - AL?) was also in that school and also worked for RTE. The chap on the right on the middle row looks a lot like him. There's something about the chap 3rd from right in the front row next to the lad with the tackies that is very familiar and reminds me of a Barrister or politician.