Monday 8 December 2014
THE STATE LIBRARY
RETURNS FOOTBALLER TO HIS RIGHTFUL PLACE
This week the Library discovered an image in the Library’s Chamberlain
Collection which revealed a fourth soldier which had not been visible since the
glass plate negative had been processed.
Along with the image from the Chamberlain Collection of soldiers taken before
they left Adelaide, is a separate piece of paper, with the names of four Norwood
footballers; Phil Robin, Brunel Nash, Thomas Storey and George Beames.
Only three men appeared in the photograph and the Library had the men
identified as L-R – Robin, Beames and Nash.
Following a comment from a member of the public questioning the identity of
the men in the photograph Senior Archivist Margaret Southcott, Project
Manager Andrew Piper and librarian Jenny Scott had reason to revisit this
image of Norwood footballers who enlisted in the early days of WWI. Further
advice was sought from the Norwood Football Club who suggested that the
chaps were L-R Thomas Storey, Robin and Nash and pointed the library to their
website of those who served
(http://www.redlegsmuseum.com.au/THOSE_WHO_SERVED.aspx) which
contains short biographies and portraits of the men as players.
With some close scrutiny by the archivist and skilled advice from our
Preservation Conservator Amalia Alpareanu it became obvious that the
negative was surrounded by Gihon’s Opaque, a substance which was used to
remove the background from an image to create portraits.
But this proved to be only the beginning of solving the 100 year old mystery.
Coinciding with this information the State Library was about to announce the
release of a new image viewer, which provides our customers, with an improved
viewing experience, using a zoom tool feature which allows the viewer to
enlarge and zoom-in to specific areas of the image.
The team applied this technique to the image of the Norwood footballers.
Further consultation with the Preservation Conservator confirmed that in a
sensitive operation the Gihon’s Opaque could be removed and the image was
brought back to the original composition taken almost a century ago. The
surprise came in revealing tunic buttons peeking out from behind the Gihon’s
Opaque.
Matching the newly exposed original with the digitised version on the Library’s
website, confirmed that No. 875 George Darling Beames was indeed included
but missing from the image as it had been held and catalogued in the collection.
“The State Library has digitised more than 150,000, beginning the extensive
process in 1998, but this discovery is a first using the zooming feature which
is not only the envy of national and state libraries across the country, it has
enabled the State Library to solve a photographic mystery at a very poignant
point in time”, said Director Alan Smith.
Project Manager, Andrew Piper, explained that the new viewer is a vast
improvement over the previous method. “The State Library of South Australia
was the first cultural institution in South Australia, if not the country, to deliver its
extensive photographic collection online in 1998” he said. “We’ve not made any
improvements to that method until now. The features customers can now look
forward to are
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
Higher quality images
Larger images
Zoomable images
Compatibility for handheld devices
Social media sharing
Attractive print styling
Also, once you are in there, one can do a keyword search to browse the
rest of the collections.”
The new display gives the image more prominence, without losing the important
contextual information provided in the catalogue record.
Details of the four Norwood footballers who enlisted:
No. 638 Private Philip De Quetteville Robin, was born at Norwood, South Australia, on 10 August 1884.
Amongst the first to enlist after war was declared he enlisted at Morphettville, South Australia, on 24
August 1914 and served with the 10th Battalion. He was killed in action at Gallipoli on 25 April 1915.
Along with VC winner Arthur Blackburn, he gained the furthest ground of any Australian during the
Gallipoli campaign. A gifted footballer of national renown, he represented the successful South
Australian team in the 1911 carnival.
No. 875 George Darling Beames was born at Eastwood, South Australia, on 6 April 1889. He enlisted at
Morphettville, South Australia, on 31 August 1914 and served with the 10th Battalion. He was wounded
in action at Gallipoli on 19 May 1915 and again in France on 26 July 1916. He married Christina
Urquhart at Glasgow in 1918 and returned to Australia with Christina in 1919.
No. 702 Private Brunel John Nash was born at Parkside, South Australia, on 29 May 1887. He enlisted
on 25 August 1914 and served with the 10th Battalion. He was killed in action at Gallipoli on 2 May
1915.
No. 706 Corporal Thomas Victor Storey, was born at Shepparton, Victoria, in 1894. Amongst the first to
enlist after war was declared he enlisted at Morphettville, South Australia, on 24 August 1914 and served
with the 10th Battalion. He was wounded in action at Gallipoli on 9 September 1915 and again in France
on 23 July 1916. He returned to Australia in 1919 and died at Norwood on 10 September 1939.
Using the zoom feature of the new viewer to compare the faces in the photograph with
the website, we discovered tunic buttons peeking out from behind the Gihon’s Opaque.
View the two images in the Library’s catalogue
before http://collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/resource/B+46130/286
This image shows the area covered by Gihon’s Opaque but not visible on the image.
The separate piece of paper with the names of four Norwood footballers.
Using the zoom feature we discovered tunic buttons peeking out from behind the
Gihon’s Opaque.
Seeking the advice of our skilled Preservation Conservator, Amalia Alpareanu, she
agreed the Opaque could be removed to reveal the image of the WWI soldier that lay
beneath.
Librarian, Jenny Scott said “The sensitive operation of bringing to light this image not
seen for nearly a Century began …
to reveal the image on the glass plate in an entirely different light, correctly identifying
each man and restoring No. 875 George Darling Beames to his rightful place next to
his team mates”.
after http://collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/resource/B+46130/286a
Further information about the new viewer and the State Library’s Centenary of ANZAC
projects is available from
Andrew Piper
Manager, Online Services
State Library of South Australia
Piper.andrew@slsa.sa.gov.au
0429 074 481
Search photos through our catalogue http://www.catalog.slsa.sa.gov.au/, then use the
facets on the right hand side to limit to photographs
Public enquiries can be made to Andrew Piper by emailing him on
centenaryofanzac@slsa.sa.gov.au
Media inquiries:
Bev Scott, Marketing Manager : Phone (08) 8207 7221 – 0467 770 793
State Library of South Australia scott.beverly@slsa.sa.gov.au