June Dally-Watkins scrapbooks

MLMSS 11840/ Box 1X

fonds

between 1947 and 1976

Textual Records, Graphic Materials, Photographs, Ephemera

9669921

0.34 metres of textual and graphic material (1 outsize box)

June Dally-Watkins OAM was raised at Watsons Creek, NSW, and moved to Sydney as a teenager to pursue modelling after it was suggested by a photographer in Tamworth. Her career flourished and in 1949 Dally-Watkins was named Model of the Year. Foreseeing that her modelling career could not last, Dally-Watkins was encouraged by her mother to capitalize on her success and teach other women what she had learned in rapidly climbing to the top of her profession. In 1950, at the age of 22, she established the June Dally-Watkins School, teaching social and business etiquette and deportment. After noticing the potential of many her students to become models, she established Australia’s first modelling agency a year later.
Reference: Library acquisition file

By descent – these scrapbooks were created by the donors mother.​

Two scrapbooks documenting June Dally-Watkins modelling career, including a 1948 gala parade of Christian Dior designs at David Jones. In her autobiography, Dally-Watkins describes staying up late with her mother on Saturday nights to grab the early Sunday editions of the newspapers so they could cut out pictures of her and paste them into scrapbooks. There are also later pieces of ephemera and clippings relating to the June Dally-Watkins School.

​​Scrapbook, c 1952. Contains 21 photographic prints, newspaper and magazine clippings, ephemera, typed copies of letters. Many of the photographs have handwritten annotated labels. Mainly documents a modelling trip to Hawaii and Los Angeles.

Scrapbook, c 1947 – 1976. Contains 16 photographic prints, newspaper and magazine clippings, ephemera. Contents include program for a 1948 gala presentation of Christian Dior designs at David Jones, featuring signatures of other models.

Copyright status:: Photographs taken before 1955 are out of copyright. Manuscript elements are in copyright.
Please acknowledge:: Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales