Historical information

Photograph shows actor Megan Williams dressed as conductress Alice Sullivan posing at the right side driver's doorway of what may be an L class car, suggested by the metal downpipe from the roof to the undercarriage and the saloon windows. The photograph is closely cropped but also appears to show a male in jacket or coat inside the saloon behind the driver's compartment. The Sullivans was a successful period drama series screened on Channel 9 between 1976 and 1983. It traced the lives of a Melbourne family during the 1939-45 war and its aftermath. As women were 'finally' employed by the tramways from 1941 because of man-power shortages, Alice Sullivan's new job helped highlight the changing societal views of the 1940s. The series was know for its attention to historical details, so Alice is dressed in the conductress uniform of the 1940s - brown tunic with brass buttons and belt, collar and tie, a cap (which may not exactly match that of the day), brown skirt below the knees, stockings and flat brown lace-up shoes. Alice also wears a conductor's coin bag with ticket wallet and two blocks 4 penny tickets strategically located for the camera. One error in the historical detail is that the coin bag is hung solely around her neck, which was never done because of the weight of the coins and tickets. A more eleborate harness was soon provided for conductresses. Another error is the placement of the ticket blocks which would have easily worked loose and lost, resulting in a large deduction for the conductress's wage.

Significance

Yields information about 1940s conductresses and their representation in popular drama

Physical description

Black and white print with note on rear

Inscriptions & markings

In pencil: "Channel 9 Sullivans"