xv, 197 pages : illustrations, portraits, facsimiles ; 25 cm.non-fiction'My life in the ragtrade' is the story of the famous Australian brand names, many developed from humble beginnings yet made in clothing factories employing thousands of people, and the grand retail stores and clothing shops that stocked those brands. In 'My life in the ragtrade', author Fred Wilkinson takes us on a trip back in time to the days of Sidney Myer's beginnings in Bendigo, to Flinders Lane, Melbourne ('The Lane'), travelling salesmen and hawkers, and names and slogans which we've all but forgotten: Anthony Squires, Sutex, Keith Courtenay, Pelaco, Crestknit, Chesty Bond, Love Me in my Glo-Weave, Hard Yakka, He's so good he thinks he's King G, and more. Then there were the retailers - Winns, Farmer's, Anthony Hordern, Mark Foy and more. Shopping back then was an adventure, it was a pleasure to be served and customers were treated like royalty. There is a useful chronology of take-overs and closures of Australian department stores.clothing trade, fred wilkinson, clothing workers, ragtrade, sidney myer, sutex, keith courtenay clothing, flinders lane, robert reid & company, paterson laing & bruce, paterson reid & bruce, anthony squires, sax altman, myer emporium, ken fogarty, jon bentley's, maurie blackman, sidney sinclair, louis klein, don collier, stafford ellinson, levi strauss, levi jeans, amco, louis epstein, hiscocks saddlery, just jeans, jeans west, general pants, glo-weave, comfort shirt company, saul same, pelaco, pearson & law, james law, james pearson, david laidlaw, d k laidlaw & sons, yakka, chesty bond, george bond, bond industries, bob adcock, king gee, king gee clothing co, jack stahmer, d & w murray, commercial travellers, commercial travellers' association, james davies, fletcher jones

Wireless Patrol crews often visited the Commercial Travellers Association building in Flinders Street.1939 Ford Mercury with John Nolan, A. Coventry, W. Crowley, G. Cracknell and J O'Connor inside vehicle1939 Mercury 244-45. L to R. John Nolan, Porter, Comm. Travellers Club; Const A. Coventry 9320; Const W. Crowley 9315; Const G. Cracknell, Driver; I/C J. O'Connor 9186police vehicles; transport branch; wireless patrol; motor police branch; motor traffic section; ford mercury car; nolan, john; coventry, allan herbert; crowley, william desmond; cracknell, garth younghusband; o'connor, john

Concert held at St Kilda Town Hall on 3 May 1924 to raise funds for the St Kilda Branch of the Alfred Hospital Auxiliary. The Commercial Travellers' Association of Victoria operated from 1880 until 2014 and donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to charities, including the Lord Mayor's Charitable Foundation and several hospitals. The concert program contains a photos of the Concert Party members. Black and white photocopy of printed booklet. Four pages.Handwritten notation on the back of each page 'Commercial Travellers Concert - May 1924' and the page number.hospital fundraising, alfred hospital, the alfred hospital auxiliary, commercial travellers concert party

Photo of Flinders St looking east from about Queen Street, c1915. Has many horse drawn vehicles and one cable tram with two ladies riding on the front of the grip car. In the view are Robert Reid & Co, Commerce House, Finks building and Flinders St Station. The station was completed in 1909. Commerce House or the Commercial Travellers Association building was completed in 1913 - see reference.Yields information about Flinders Street between Queen and Elizabeth Streets.Photograph - Black and White - Flinders St looking east - 1915c from near Queen Street.tramways, trams, cable cars, flinders street, commerce house, cta building, flinders street station