Historical information

John Glass Cramond 1829 and James Dickson 1831-1910 were founders of a large drapery store. Both were Scots and both came separately to Australia in 1852.
Cramond initially came for gold but soon opened a store in St Kilda with a post Office attached and he was the first post master there. Dickson was a farmer’s son but became a draper and while he was unsuccessful on the Bendigo diggings and then returned to Melbourne where he met Cramond and soon after they opened a store on Lonsdale Street. They opened their business in Warrnambool in 1855 as a general store with groceries, drapery and ironmongery. Both partners were involved with the community and James Dickson was an original director of the Warrnambool Woollen Mill 1909 and the Warrnambool Cheese and butter factory. He also served on the committee of management of Warrnambool Base Hospital.
This case was a wedding gift from James Dickson Jnr to his wife Mary Glass Cramond on the occasion of their wedding.

Significance

This item has significance on a number of levels. It belonged to a member of one of Warrnambool’s earliest pioneering families and it marks the occasion when the two families of Cramond and Dickson were linked through the marriage of James Dickson jnr and Mary Glass Cramond.
The firm played a significant part in the development of the city and traded for nearly 150 years. It therefore has social significance to Warrnambool. The item is well provenance with the case initialed and items within the case monogrammed.
The case and its items are aesthetically quite beautiful as well as being typical of travelling or dressing cases of the more well to do, of the time. Mappin & Webb were manufacturers of some standing with the Mappin name appearing in manufacturing as early as 1775.The company has held a royal warrant as silversmiths since 1897 to the present day and as crown jeweler since 2012. Throughout this time, they have manufactured quality items for the luxury market. It provides an insight into the way ladies travelled and the items which they considered essential.

Physical description

This consists of a black leather with leather handle attached with brass fittings. Middle opening with side pocket on one side with metal catches. Inside has removable sections for holding the numerous containers and items belonging to the case. Interior of the case is dark blue satin. The items contained within the case are as follows:
321.1 Luggage case
321.2 Glass bottle rectangular, silver monogrammed lid, empty.
321.3 Tall round glass bottle, silver monogrammed lid, empty.
321.4 Small glass bottle with pink powder, silver monogrammed lid.
321.5 Small multi sided bottle with stopper and brass hinged lid.
321.6 Tall round bottle with silver monogrammed lid.
321.7 Tall thin multi sided bottle with brass lid.
321.8 Cream coloured monogrammed jar cotton wool inside.
321.9 Clothes brush rectangular cream back.
321.10.1Glove stretcher bone coloured
.10.2 Case black leather.
321.11.1 hair comb cream with silver edge
.11.2 Case black leather
321.12 Hair brush cream handle
321.13Spatula cream monogrammed
321.14 Mirror, silver round with handle.
321.15 Writing compendium
.1 Case black leather
.2 Pen with nib
.3 Lead pencil
.4 Navy satin covered blotting book
321.16 Inkwell glass bottle in small black leather case.
321.17 Match striker in leather case.
321.18 Mirror in black leather case rectangular
321.19 Small case for visiting cards.
321.20Sewing kit rectangular, contains threads and needles pkts x 3
321.21Container, small, hinged tortoise shell patterned.
321.22.1 Manicure set
.2 Scissors small
.3 Scissors large
.4Corkscrew with Mother of pearl handle
.5 Pocket knife with Mother of pearl handle
.6Tweezers with Mother of pearl handle
.7 File with Mother of pearl handle
.8 Fine hook Mother of pearl handle
.9 Bodkin
.10 Bodkin
321.23 Hairbrush oval silver backed
321.24 Mirror silver handled hand mirror.
321.25 Hairbrush wooden handled with Mother of pearl inlay.
321.26 Cylinder, silver with removable lid and small phial of iodine labelled Felton’s pocket iodine.
321.27 Phial small glass with gold decorations.
321.28 Inhaler with insert
321.29 Thimble, metal.
321.30 Silver backed hair brush
321.31 silver backed clothes brush

Inscriptions & markings

Engraved on side pocket: M.G.D.
Mappin and Webb Sheffield and London. Some of the items are monogrammed as per the list above. A number of the glass bottles have lids hallmarked Mappin & Webb London and Sheffield makers stamped inside lid with hall marks