Saturday, January 09, 2010

Surprised to see a familiar name

from w
When browsing through the Saturday Age supplement with stories about arts/gardening/wine/literature, I was surprised by a graphic item with the maiden name of my grandmother - Frances Hillman - on a letter. Then I checked the by-line below and realized that the graphic artist is my cousin's daughter, Judy Green, who has produced super illustrations for the Age newspaper for the past twenty years or so. So the name is not coincidental. Judy must have some of her great-grand-mother's papers handed down from her grandmother Norma. A lovely surprise. I've added here a photo of Grandma when she was much older than a young umarried woman. I have one letter from her after she started teaching me to play the piano when I was seven years of age. She had been living with our family in Swan Hill for about six months and had moved back to Melbourne and somehow my mother had kept just one letter from her to me.

There was once a bundle of love letters from a 'hot-hearted Charlie' who was a Mate on one of the Loch Line sailing ships. I saw them at a cousin's house. Charles Lay did marry Frances though she was at first engaged to Charlie's brother! Unfortunately I think the letters were lost.

Some of Judy's graphics are on line and can be seen by going to the Age website and linking to the graphic artists.

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2 Comments:

Blogger Alison said...

That was a nice little discovery. No, there are no women represented in the Masterpieces from Paris Exhibition. I wonder which women were around at the time - i should investigate

3:01 AM  
Blogger annie said...

What a great story, Wendy. I love going back through old photos and letters. So evocative that I feel I am being swept right back into those moments.
annie

7:13 AM  

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