Historical information

The original Research Store belonged to the Doneys. It was located near where the present Research shops are situated (opposite Ingram Road). Charlie Doney is shown in front of the store. His wife Blanche is at the gate and his mother on the verandah. They had two boys, Lance and Bill. The mother gave her daughter the opportunities and the graces. One of the children lived in the railway carriage behind the Church of England, Research. Both boys died of T.B. - the reason why one lived away from the remaining family in a railway carriage - Ivy Reynolds.

Significance

The Reynolds family were early settlers in Research.

The Reynolds/ Prior collection of photographs were taken by Tom Prior, the maternal uncle of Ivy Reynolds, around 1900 and the 60 photos in the album give a fine overview of many of the landmarks of Research and Eltham over 100 years ago.

lvy lived in the family home for many years at 106 Thompson Cres Research. Ivy's father, Ernst Richard Reynolds and grandfather, Richard Reynolds, lived at the same address. Ivy's father Richard worked for Mr. Trail on his property in Research. Reynolds Road is named after the family.

Mr Tom Prior (wife Eva) worked at the Melbourne zoo. He was very innovative and made his own camera, using the black cloth hood to exclude the light.
The photographs are a reminder of the rural nature of Research and Eltham and its rich heritage.

Physical description

Black and white photograph mounted in an album, the Reynolds/Prior Photograph Collection, this being one of 53 reproduced black and white images of early Eltham.

Inscriptions & markings

The Reynolds/Prior Photograph Collection, Presented to the Eltham District Historical Society, 14 June 2006 by Ross McDonald. A second copy was also presented to the Andrew Ross Museum, Kangaroo Ground