Seventy five year old photographs ... Roll #16 Vienna (a fitting end)

[ampguy]

Hi Keith

Hi Keith

Perhaps Phyllis may have a family tree or be able to put dates to the photos.

In any case, it seems that everyone agrees that Bettina, at some point just wanted to be normal and settle down and put her past behind her and not have it trouble her new life.

The fact that her family may have been contacted for good reasons, to be given back some ownership of the bakery or whatever would seem like a good thing, but then there are all those years or maybe decades of hiding that other life.

Very interesting stuff. I hope you are able to get some good info. from Phyllis and to get more answers.

The photos seem like they would be of most interest to Phyllis, I would think?? though maybe not important for her book, if her book was loosely based on her mothers life?? Did she have access to the undeveloped rolls knowingly before she wrote the book?

It's really interesting Ted ... I've been skimming through the book again trying to work out some of the time frames and often Phyllis's descriptions don't quite match what I've surmised by looking at all of these photographs. Given the quality of some of the shots of Bettina in these rolls I'm puzzled as to why Phyllis never chose to have these rolls examined for content and use some of the images for her book.

She only mentions one world trip her mother embarked on and that was one that started in London (leaving from Southampton) in 1937 and went throught the Suez Canal down the coast of Africa ... and it was on a cargo boat apparently. That leaves the world trip that we have seen, unaccounted for totally in her writings. The photos we've seen of her in New Zealand and in Australia are obviously not those of someone on the run!

Her sister Lucie emmigrated to NZ in 1932 so it's likely that the shots of Bettina in NZ were taken before her reported African trip of 1937 and the decision to return there in 1938/39, to take the back door into Australia so to speak, was legitimized to those who may have wondered back in Europe by having a relative living there.

The trip that we have seen parts of obviously started from Canada because we know the routes the Canadian cruise liners of the time took and they are exactly where the rolls of photos have taken us.

I need to go and have a chat to Phyllis as soon as I can arrange it ... she lives on the outskirts of Brisbane apparently!

As for making a film of her life based around the book ... what does it matter? I've never known the movie industry to let the facts get in the way of a good story! 😛

 

[Ducky]

If not it doesn't really matter because I, like her, have had my life enrichened by Bettina Mendl ... and also like Phyllis, maybe I have found out all I needed to know!

Lovely sentiment, Kieth, and maybe it applies to all of us who followed this adventure with you.

 

[Cron]

Vienna, the place where I live - street scenes are from the first district, inner city;
you see the opera house at the right (last pic), standing on "Kärntner Strasse", the pic before must be "Kärntner Strasse" in direction St. Stephens Cathedral

 

[Cron]

oh ... if this is Villa Mendl, the house was in the 19th district "Döbling", Hohe Warte. It belongs to the founder of "Anker-Brot" Fritz Mendl. It is said, that 3 of his daughters went to Australia in 1938.

 

[johannielscom]

Gearhead chiming in:

Looks like a shot taken in a mirror with a Leica IIIa (can see the slow times front dial right side behind the lens) and a Xenon 50/1.5 (can see the focusing knob underneath the lens, front element too big for a Summar or Summitar. the Xenon came out in 1936, the Summitar in 1939)

Keith, thanks for all the time and effort you put in here to show us these shots! Appreciating Barnacks even more than before now!

It would be nice if the family would allow someone to compile all these shots into a Blurb book, it would be so nice to see them accumulated!

 

[Keith]

I meant to ask if anyone had noticed that in a couple of shots Bettina and her brother appear to be holding what may be a lightmeter ... did they have light meters back then?

I gather they would have ... but possibly not something the average snapper coud afford I would imagine!

There's two pics I didn't post that show it a lot better ... alternately is it a device for removing the tail of a dog? 😀

 

[SolaresLarrave]

Thanks a lot, Keith... this was a most enjoyable experience!! 🙂

 

[linuxuser]

Please don't be upset on me, but maybe the device in their hands is a ... cellphone 😀😀😀

 

[linuxuser]

Maybe a deeper scan on last photo where she holds that 'thing' would help.


Earlier lightmeters existed. Look here at Weston:

'Weston was founded by chemist Edward Weston, who held many patents for electrical inventions, from permanent magnets through cellulose manufacturing, dynamos, arc & filament lights and the magnetic-drag speedometer to electrical measurement instruments (and even US 895218 - a fruit box!) Weston's son, Edward Faraday Weston, applied for a U.S. patent on the first Weston Exposure meter, granted as No.2016469 in October 1935." (source Wikipedia).


Early type of meters:

Weston, 1933

Ikophot, 1939

Avo, 1935



More info:
http://www.westonmeter.org.uk/Chronology.htm

 

[Keith]

That thing looks to have some sort of fold out cover if it is a light meter.

Cellphone ... I hadn't thought of that! 😀

 

[Peter R]

Those early light meters look super cool. It's late, I'm sleepy and can't express it in a more adult and eloquent manner, sorry.

 

[Mudman]

beam me up Bettina!

 

[Keith]

RFFer 'Cron' has been good enough to wander into downtown Vienna and shoot a couple of pics in simlar locations to Bettina's and email them to me.

Interesting to note that changes aren't dramatic aside from the noticable absence of the automobile. The stainless steel lipstick shaped rubbish bins should be exterminated ... they just don't work and Burger King are everywhere! 😀

Nice light poles! 🙂

 

[Dfin]

Thank you Keith for all your hard work. Sydney pre-skyscraper , when the bridge was new & life travelled at a slower pace,great shots. Thanks to Cron for taking the time & effort to do a re-shoot in Vienna. Just an aside, the colour shot of the ship someone posted, looks like it could be Walsh Bay, just around the corner from Dawes Pt.

 

[Cron]

nice to see my quickly shot pics in this thread, thanks Keith!
Main differences in buildings are caused in damages by bombs during WWII

 

[robklurfield]

Keith, those portraits are amazing. It's also awfully interesting to see Vienna between the wars. This has been a great project. I hope you'll make prints.

 

[Damaso]

I'm in Vienna right now so thanks for sharing!

 

[yoyo22]

Found this on Google maps with a photo taken very close to the spot where the one above was taken:
http://www.panoramio.com/photo/16637789

 

[wayneb]

Hi Keith - this series is certainly one of the most rewarding ever seen on RFF. I know it was a lot of work, thank you!