Photographs, postcards, drawings and lock of hair relating to the Oxley family and lithographs / Samuel Thomas Gill

PXD 1220
R 1187

fonds

1810-1977

Graphic Materials, Objects, Photographs, Prints, Drawings

909911

3 prints (mounted on 1 board) - 23.0 x 35.5 cm (mount) - black & white
1 album (137 photographs) - 23.5 x 28.5 cm - gelatin silver
1 lock of hair
8 ephemera items (postcards) - 9.0 x 14 cm (or smaller) - black & white
1 photograph - 32.0 x 23.9 cm (in oval mount) - gelatin silver reproduction, hand-coloured
1 photograph - 30.6 x 24.2 cm (in oval mount) - gelatin silver reproduction, hand-coloured
1 drawing - 43.2 x 31.0 cm - watercolour
50 prints - 20.0 x 27.5 cm (or smaller) - lithographs
4 prints (in one mount) - 24.0 x 14.3 cm - coloured reproduction
26 photographs - 28.0 x 17.2 cm (or smaller) - albumen, gelatin silver
3 drawings - 6.3 x 9.4 cm (or smaller) - hand-coloured
1 print - 15.0 x 19.2 cm (image), 24.5 x 31.0 cm (mount) - reproduction
1 print - 14.0 x 17.9 cm (image), 24.5 x 31.0 cm (mount) - reproduction
1 print - 16.9 x 13.9 cm - black & white

In a letter written by Elizabeth Twells (nee Dixon) to her cousin John Norton Oxley (the explorer’s son) titled ‘Things my mother told me’, she talks about their mutual grandmother Isabella Oxley (nee Molesworth). It was written somewhere about 1870-1890. Elizabeth says ‘I send you a copy’ of the miniature of their grandmother Isabella Oxley (nee Molesworth) at the time of her marriage to Mr John Oxley (snr.) where they are said to have eloped in 1783 and married at St Martins in the Field in London. She goes on to say; ‘The oil painting of Lady Molesworth [Isabella’s mother]and her infant son (painted by John Foldsome in 1763) was brought to Australia by her grandson John JWM Oxley, the explorer in 1812.’ ‘The miniatures of Richard Viscount Molesworth, ... Isabella and of Lord Digby (who was betrothed to Mrs Oxley) where given to John Norton Oxley by his Uncle Henry L. Molesworth Oxley about 1844.’

It is still unknown where the original oil painting of Lady Molesworth and child (with the child reaching up to touch her pearls) and the original miniature of Isabella Molesworth (Oxley’s mother) with her hair in a headdress that is unusual for 1783. It does appear however, that the 4 mounted portraits are perhaps the copies referred to as being sent with Elizabeth’s letter to John Norton Oxley, as Eleanor Beatrice Martin Oxley is a direct descendant of John Norton Oxley via his son Arthur Norton Oxley, and the last alive of her generation. Apparently the original miniature was one of two offered, in Australia, for sale to the Mitchell library in 1970 but not purchased.

The 2 portraits of women in this set appear to be copies of the original oil painting and miniature portrait. The reason I maintain this is their close likeness to copies of the originals printed in a newspaper article from The Queenslander in 1923 titled ‘Four generations of the Oxley Family’. It appears that, apart from the beautiful, and well known portrait of John Oxley in that collection, that the four small mounted portraits are of (from top down, left to right) Richard Viscount Molesworth (probably Vis. 111, Isabella’s grandfather); Lord Digby (who was betrothed to Isabella, who she left when she eloped with John Oxley snr.); Isabella Oxley (nee Molesworth); Lady Molesworth (Isabella’s mother) and her infant son who dies young.

Reference:
Ann Webster-Wright, Research Fellow, University of Queensland, June 2011

Includes:

Unidentified portrait of man [watercolour reproduction]

Unidentified portrait of woman with white headress in oval gold mount [gelatin silver copy print of photograph, hand-coloured]

Portrait of John Oxley in oval gold mount [gelatin silver copy print of original watercolour, hand-coloured]

Print of original watercolour of building on corner of King Street by H. Stuart Wilson. Photograph by the Crown Studios, Sydney

Photograph album of views of New South Wales [album of Miss Oxley?], 1929-1963

3 black and white portraits in oval mounts on one board [unidentified]

3 drawings of coat of arms relating to the Oxley family [hand-coloured], 1885

50 lithographs, chiefly relating to life as a gold digger, by Samuel Thomas Gill, ca. 1852

26 photographs including Oxley family and friends, the Kirkham residence, Samuel Edward Marsden (grandson of Rev. Samuel Marsden) [cabinet cards], St Phillip's Church, Sydney, 1848 [copy photoprint of drawing], Girl Guide Camp at Bundeena, 'Plan & Elevation of a Church Built at Parramatta New South Wales during the Government of John Hunter Esq. 1800' [copy photoprint of drawing] and unidentified buildings

Print of the proposed new memorial porch, St Paul's, Cobbitty, New South Wales

4 coloured reproductions of of original portrait paintings in one mount of Richard Viscount Molesworth, Lord Digby, Isabella Oxley (nee Molesworth) and Lady Molesworth (Isabella's mother) and her infant son who dies young. Two of the prints signed 'GL' in bottom right-hand corner

R 1187
Lock of hair - inscribed on paper '[?] hair, July 4th 1864, 20 months

This pictorial material is part of Eleanor Beatrice Martin Oxley papers, 1810-1977, relating to Oxley, Hassall and Norton families at MLMSS 4364

Access via appointment - R 1187

Out of copyright:
Please acknowledge:: Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales

Backing to photograph - separated from unknown photograph - inscribed 'Arthur Moreton Oxley - [Emiline?] Laura Oxley nee Martin - Married April 14th 1888 - Photo taken April 14th 1938'

See related material at MIN 306

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