Richard G
Veteran
As dfin points out on the roll 4 thread, the man on the right on the passenger ship deck (Picture 6, roll 4) is holding a folding camera.
Keith
The best camera is one that still works!
Bettina's camera was definitely a Leica screwmount ... one of the rolls of film still has the leader with the 10 cm cut away in it. 
NathanJD
Well-known
Once these rolls are scanned and the story of the photographers and subjects comes fully to light, it would be great to put together a presentation of everything that has been found out, not only for us and the web but also to present to the owner of the canisters.
Keith
The best camera is one that still works!
My intention if possible is to go and meet the author of the book Phyllis McDuff (Bettina's daughter) and sit down with her and go through all the photographs. She's in her late sixties, in good health and is computer savy.
I would also like to be able to photograph her if she's agreeable with my 1933 Leica II. She lives a couple of hours drive from Brisbane.
NathanJD
Well-known
My intention if possible is to go and meet the author of the book Phyllis McDuff (Bettina's daughter) and sit down with her and go through all the photographs. She's in her late sixties, in good health and is computer savy.
I would also like to be able to photograph her if she's agreeable with my 1933 Leica II. She lives a couple of hours drive from Brisbane.
That really would be something Keith!
Last edited:
ampguy
Veteran
Keith
Keith
That would be most interesting!
I've read the excerpts from the book, but the book is expensive and not readily available.
I'm curious as to why both the SS and the Australian govt. were after her? Or was it more her dad?
Keith
That would be most interesting!
I've read the excerpts from the book, but the book is expensive and not readily available.
I'm curious as to why both the SS and the Australian govt. were after her? Or was it more her dad?
My intention if possible is to go and meet the author of the book Phyllis McDuff (Bettina's daughter) and sit down with her and go through all the photographs. She's in her late sixties, in good health and is computer savy.
I would also like to be able to photograph her if she's agreeable with my 1933 Leica II. She lives a couple of hours drive from Brisbane.
mgd711
Medium Format Baby!!
The more you find out Keith the more amazing this whole set of images becomes.
Keith
The best camera is one that still works!
As a high profile figure in Austria she was very outspoken against Hitler's politics at the time.
She was a very competent dressage rider and was in fact selected for the 1936 Olympics in Berlin but refused to compete because of her political beliefs. In the late thirties it built to a head and she was convinced that she was in imminent danger from the SS and chose to disappear into outback Australia. At the time she was also convinced that the Australian government would have happily handed her over to Nazi Germany if push came to shove. She effectively hid in the middle of nowhere in this country for twenty five years (during which time she married Joe McDuff) until she was called back to Austria to sort out her affairs and manage her enormous inheritance.
In the last chapter of the book Phyllis McDuff admits that there was still a lot of questions her mother refused to answer before her death and you are left with the lingering impression that she may actually have been involved in some type of espionage against Nazi Germany!
Talk about opening a can of worms when I started scanning this film!
Last edited:
ampguy
Veteran
Thanks Keith
Thanks Keith
Sounds intriguing! Perhaps you will uncover a "smoking gun" photo that explains some unanswered things.
I also read the wikipedia entry that was referenced, reportedly about her dad, so the family at some point after the war was allowed to go back and get ownership of the bread factory?
Besides the author, are their any other relatives? If you do meet the author, you might inquire about a family tree, perhaps there are other stories, and maybe other undeveloped film rolls!
Thanks Keith
Sounds intriguing! Perhaps you will uncover a "smoking gun" photo that explains some unanswered things.
I also read the wikipedia entry that was referenced, reportedly about her dad, so the family at some point after the war was allowed to go back and get ownership of the bread factory?
Besides the author, are their any other relatives? If you do meet the author, you might inquire about a family tree, perhaps there are other stories, and maybe other undeveloped film rolls!
As a high profile figure in Austria she was very outspoken against Hitler's politics at the time.
She was a very competent dressage rider and was in fact selected for the 1936 Olympics in Berlin but refused to compete because of her political beliefs. In the late thirties it built to a head and she was convinced that she was in imminent danger from the SS and chose to disappear into outback Australia. At the time she was also convinced that the Australian government would have happily handed her over to Nazi Germany if push came to shove. She effectively hid in the middle of nowhere in this country for twenty five years (during which time she married Joe McDuff) until she was called back to Austria to sort out her affairs and manage her enormous inheritance.
In the last chapter of the book Phyllis McDuff admits that there was still a lot of questions her mother refused to answer before her death and you are left with the lingering impression that she may actually have been involved in some type of espionage against Nazi Germany!
Talk about opening a can of worms when I started scanning this film!