Australian Army interest, a gold-plated open-faced pocket wa...

Estimate

£30 - £50

Australian Army interest, a gold-plated open-faced pocket watch with chain the white enamel dial having black Roman numerals and blued-steel spade hands with the gold-plated case stamped within English Make, Star, 222757, the rear engraved T/202214, Q.M.S.I. Ross, E.E., A.C.C, for E.E. Ross as quartermaster, the three-quarter plate movement having a lever escapement and stamped 7 Jewels, 5513, diameter 35mm. With silver chain gross weight 36.82gs. The Australian Government archives have in their collection a half-plate glass negative of an E.E. Ross in army uniform as stated below. A copy of the image is available with the watch. Half-plate glass negative of E.E. Ross, in World War One military uniform, standing outside a stone building. Written in pencil across the top of the glass plate: 'E.E. Ross Duplicate'. There is a blank form accompanying the glass plate, 'The Cadia Copper Mining and Smelting Company Limited. Assay Report'. One of a collection of glass plate negatives of South Australian soldiers, likely produced in metropolitan Adelaide from late 1914 to 1916. The majority of the images are single portraits and demonstrate a wide variety of uniforms, accoutrements and weapons, including swords and rifles with and without fixed bayonets, and various backdrops including outdoors, against buildings, and studio shots with a rural idyll woodland background. Included are portraits of men in twos or groups of three or more, some with wives and sometimes children and parents. Some portraits feature warhorses, senior offices, a quartermaster, and the crew of a West Spring Gun. The original paper envelopes of a number of the glass plates have survived, providing the name of the soldier along with details of the types and quantities of prints ordered. One of the envelopes gives details of the maker, Edwards and Errington of 52 Flinders Street, Adelaide. See B 74889-B 75011, B 75104.