This mounted and framed photograph of a group of friends punting on the River Yarra has a number of historic and artistic associations. The photograph is primarily important as an informal photograph of the Australian baritone John Donald Mackenzie Brownlee (1900-1969), whose international career at the world's major opera houses from 1927 until his retirement in 1958 included singing at Melba's Covent Garden farewell in 1926, to recordings in the 1930s of a major series of Mozart operas in Glyndebourne Festival productions, conducted by Fritz Busch. Brownlee, born in Geelong, won the gold medal as champion vocalist at the South Street competitions in Ballarat in 1921. Moving to Paris in 1923 he began study with the French baritone, Dinh Gilly, making his operatic debut at the Trianon Lyrique in Montmartre in 1926. The most significant periods of his operatic career were with the Paris Opera from 1927 to 1936, and at the Metropolitan Opera from 1937 to 1957. After his move to Paris in 1923, he is recorded as revisiting Australia in 1928 as a member of the Melba-Williamson Company, and 24 years later in 1952. The photograph of Brownlee and the Gardners in a punt on the Yarra, while putatively dated to 1925, must be from earlier in the 1920s before his move to Paris, or later during the Melba-Williamson Company season. Before his move to Paris in 1923, Brownlee had lived in Belmont Avenue, Kew, where he must have developed a friendship with the Gardners. The photograph has additional artistic significance as it was produced at 'The Artorium', James Beament's design studio next to the Hawthorn Town Hall at 362 Burwood Road. With a home at 33 Uvadale Road (designed by Eric Nicholls, who managed the architectural practice of Walter Burley and Marion Mahony Grifffin from 1924 to 1932), Beament painted a number of significant murals for the Griffin practice, including those at the Capitol Theatre in Melbourne.A photograph of recreational activities on the River Yarra. The photograph is historically significant as a professionally produced photograph of the Australian operatic baritone John Brownlee, either before his move to Paris in 1923, or in 1928 during the Melba-Williamson Company operatic tour of Australia. The photograph has additional aesthetic significance as it was produced in James Beament's Hawthorn Studio - The Artorium - at 362 Burwood Road, next to the Hawthorn Town Hall.Framed photograph of John Duncan Brownlee, the Australian tenor, with Enid Gardner and friend in a punt on the Yarra River. Brownlee was born in Geelong but before his move to Paris in 1923, he lived for a period in Belmont Avenue, Kew. Three labels on reverse. 1. "John Duncan Brownlee, Operatic Star, originally of Geelong later resident of Kew at Belmont Av, on the pole. Also in the punt - Edith Gardner a friend. The Gardners lived on the east corner of Edgevale Rd. & Cotham. Approx. 1925." 2. "This picture is the property of Kew Historical Society 1/4/79". 3. Tel. Hawthorn 842 THE ARTORIUM ...."john brownlee (tenor), punting, recreation - yarra river (kew), james beament, the artorium -- 362 burwood road -- hawthorn (vic.)

The donor, Rosemary Lade, was a member of the Q Theatre Guild for a short period in the 1970s when this photo of a performance of The Bartered Bride was taken. The Q Theatre Guild had previously evolved out of the Kew Light Opera Company that had been formed in 1953. The first performances of the Guild occurred in the Kew Recreation Hall in Wellington Street. From 1960, the Guild performed at the new Kew Civic (later City) Hall. During the 1970s, the donor participated in performances of The Bartered Bride by Bedřich Smetana, The Gypsy Baron by Johan Strauss II, and Amahl and the Night Visitors by Gian Carlo Menotti.One of a set of four photographs of a performance of Smetana's Bartered Bride in the Kew City Hall in the 1970s. The performance was given by the "Q" Theatre Guild."The Bartered Bride" Smetana. Q Theatre Guild 1970s."q" theatre guild, the bartered bride, kew city hall, performing arts -- kew (vic.)

The donor, Rosemary Lade, was a member of the Q Theatre Guild for a short period in the 1970s when this photo of a performance of The Bartered Bride was taken. The Q Theatre Guild had previously evolved out of the Kew Light Opera Company that had been formed in 1953. The first performances of the Guild occurred in the Kew Recreation Hall in Wellington Street. From 1960, the Guild performed at the new Kew Civic (later City) Hall. During the 1970s, the donor participated in performances of The Bartered Bride by Bedřich Smetana, The Gypsy Baron by Johan Strauss II, and Amahl and the Night Visitors by Gian Carlo Menotti.Photograph of a performance of Smetana's Bartered Bride in the Kew City Hall in the 1970s. The performance was given by the "Q" Theatre Guild."The Bartered Bride" Smetana. Q Theatre Guild 1970s.Left Rear - Molly Stillwell (seated) Rosemary Lademolly stilwell, rosemary lade, "q" theatre guild, kew civic hall, performing arts -- kew (vic.), smetana -- the bartered bride

The donor, Rosemary Lade, was a member of the Q Theatre Guild for a short period in the 1970s when this photo of a performance of The Bartered Bride was taken. The Q Theatre Guild had previously evolved out of the Kew Light Opera Company that had been formed in 1953. The first performances of the Guild occurred in the Kew Recreation Hall in Wellington Street. From 1960, the Guild performed at the new Kew Civic (later City) Hall. During the 1970s, the donor participated in performances of The Bartered Bride by Bedřich Smetana, The Gypsy Baron by Johan Strauss II, and Amahl and the Night Visitors by Gian Carlo Menotti.Photograph of a performance of Smetana's Bartered Bride in the Kew City Hall in the 1970s. The performance was given by the "Q" Theatre Guild."The Bartered Bride" Smetana. Q Theatre Guild 1970s."q" theatre guild, smetana -- the bartered bride, performing arts -- kew (vic.), kew civic hall

The donor, Rosemary Lade, was a member of the Q Theatre Guild for a short period in the 1970s when this photo of a performance of The Bartered Bride was taken. The Q Theatre Guild had previously evolved out of the Kew Light Opera Company that had been formed in 1953. The first performances of the Guild occurred in the Kew Recreation Hall in Wellington Street. From 1960, the Guild performed at the new Kew Civic (later City) Hall. During the 1970s, the donor participated in performances of The Bartered Bride by Bedřich Smetana, The Gypsy Baron by Johan Strauss II, and Amahl and the Night Visitors by Gian Carlo Menotti.Photograph of a performance of Smetana's Bartered Bride in the Kew City Hall in the 1970s. The performance was given by the Q Theatre Guild."The Bartered Bride" Smetana. Q Theatre Guild 1970s. Rosemary Lade (far right)"q" theatre guild, rosemary lade, kew civic hall, smetana -- the bartered bride, performing arts -- kew (vic.)

The Municipality of Kew (1860-1863), the Borough of Kew (1863-1910), the Town of Kew (1910-1921) and the City of Kew (1921-1994) were local government instrumentalities in the State of Victoria. In 1994, the City of Kew was amalgamated, together with the former Cities of Camberwell and Hawthorn, into the new City of Boroondara (1994- ). Like other local government entities of the period, Kew was administered by town clerks. The two notable town clerks in Kew's history were H. H. (Henry Hirst) Harrison (1868-1955) and W. D. (William Dickie) Birrell (1899-1974). Harrison was appointed to the position in 1901 and retired in 1938 after 37 years. Birrell, appointed Acting Town Clerk in 1921, became Town Clerk in 1938, following Harrison's retirement. He continued in this role until his retirement in 1966.This is part of an historically significant civic collection, containing hundreds of separate invitations, documents, greeting cards, programmes and tickets issued and/or collected by successive town clerks. Items in the collection illuminate the political, social and cultural history of the district. As a continuous record, ranging across most decades of the Twentieth Century, they reveal changing tastes in design, values and relationships in the history of local government in Victoria.city of kew, ephemera, rialto theatre (kew), invitations, civic ephemera, kew (vic.) -- 1945, civic invitations, cr f c sands

The Municipality of Kew (1860-1863), the Borough of Kew (1863-1910), the Town of Kew (1910-1921) and the City of Kew (1921-1994) were local government instrumentalities in the State of Victoria. In 1994, the City of Kew was amalgamated, together with the former Cities of Camberwell and Hawthorn, into the new City of Boroondara (1994- ). Like other local government entities of the period, Kew was administered by town clerks. The two notable town clerks in Kew's history were H. H. (Henry Hirst) Harrison (1868-1955) and W. D. (William Dickie) Birrell (1899-1974). Harrison was appointed to the position in 1901 and retired in 1938 after 37 years. Birrell, appointed Acting Town Clerk in 1921, became Town Clerk in 1938, following Harrison's retirement. He continued in this role until his retirement in 1966.This is part of an historically significant civic collection, containing hundreds of separate invitations, documents, greeting cards, programmes and tickets issued and/or collected by successive town clerks. Items in the collection illuminate the political, social and cultural history of the district. As a continuous record, ranging across most decades of the Twentieth Century, they reveal changing tastes in design, values and relationships in the history of local government in Victoria.city of kew, ephemera, rialto theatre (kew), invitations, civic ephemera, kew (vic.) -- 1945, civic invitations, cr f c sands