Historical information

Believed to be addressed to her cousin, Mary Ann Shillinglaw, from May ? - This could be Ethel May Bottle b. 1883, daughter of Edward Henry Bottle and step-daughter of Catherine Shillinglaw but this type of post-card photo only commenced in 1905 when she would have been 22. The girl looks more like 15. It is not known if Elizabeth Docherty (nee Shillinglaw) had any children. Born 1861 and married 1894 at 33 years of age, it is possible that she could have had a daughter who would have been 15 in 1910.

"Dear Mary
I hope this will find you all well. I hope Uncle Phillip is better. This is for the home it is among the lot. You must excuse me for sending one among the lot I haven’t enough to go all round. I will get more copied and send one to Carrie and Florrie. Well I think I have told you all this time I haven’t much room. So good bye from your loving cousin Mary
100 xxxxxxxxxxxxxx"

Possibilities to investigate are the Kidd side families:
Wilson
Stewart
Renolds
Mills
Mason
Williams

Post Card printed on back with photographer's details:
W. Mason & Co., 144 Bridge Road, Richmond.
W. Mason & Co. operated from this adress from 1903-c.1932

POSTCARD 1905-1940s
Like the carte-de-visite, postcards enjoyed a collecting craze by large numbers of people, and were often kept in albums through which the interested visitor could browse. Postcards were posted or exchanged in huge numbers.
Postal authorities in Australia only allowed the private printing of postcards from 1898. At this time the back of the card was reserved for the address and postage stamp, and the front was used for the message and a picture. In 1902 British authorities allowed a "divided back", so that the left side could be used for the message, the right side for the address and stamp, and the whole of the front was devoted to the picture. France followed suit in 1904, Germany and Australia in 1905, and the United States in 1907.
- Frost, Lenore; Dating Family Photos 1850-1920; Valiant Press Pty. Ltd., Berwick, Victoria 1991

Physical description

POST-CARD Photo
Digital file only, scanned from album in private collection