Real Photo cards by D.I.C. (Fellowes)

[Ross Ewington]

I acquired recently this interesting view with the Colonial and Mutual building, the GPO and rather quaint offices of The Mercury.
The photo appears to be taken from a first floor window of the Royal Society rooms across Argyle Street.

As trolley buses were introduced in 1935 (note wires in foreground) and the CML building was completed in 1936 this would make it the
latest card by DIC that I have seen to date.

Can anyone post a DIC view or three from a similar period ..... and while I'm asking questions does anyone reading this know what
(The) "DIC" stood for?!? ..................... Ross

[Ross Ewington]

Here's another real photo card by W. Fellowes (D.I.C.) entitled "Our Troops Embarking for the Front".

[attachment=1]troops embarking.jpg[/attachment]

To view a larger image of this card please use this link (to return simply use your backspace key)
http://tsauctions.com/nov2010/p101.jpg

I am still no closer to solving the mystery of what the letters D.I.C. stood for. Unfortunately, this closeup
from the 1920s of Fellowe's veranda (on his Elizabeth Street shop) was of no assistance although quite
exciting to find at the time.

[attachment=0]d.i.c.jpg[/attachment]

[Ross Ewington]

Just seen on eBay (10.12.2011) another example of the card above "Our Troops Embarking for the Front"
[attachment=0]dic our troops embarking.jpg[/attachment]

Interesting to note the card definitely dates from 1915 (postally used to China) whereas Chris Long provides dates for Fellowes as being 1921-1931
With this card and the first in this post, Fellowes' "dates" are now expanded to 1915 through to 1936 (at least).

[Des_Beechey]

The D.I.C. was "The Direct Importing Company". Here is an advertisement from "The Mercury", 22 May, 1914:

DIC1.jpg (167.27 KiB) Viewed 6020 times

There is a little more detail in Fellowes' obituary, in "The Mercury" 14 August 1954, shown below:

DIC2.jpg (283.16 KiB) Viewed 6020 times

[Ross Ewington]

The Magnum Mysterium finally solved!

Thank you also for finding Fellowe's obituary and the 'connection' between Fellowes
and W.J. Little.

Well done Des! Your "Troving" is second to none!

[Mike]

Well done Des, an important find for Tasmanian postcard collectors.

I have been wondering what DIC stood for, for many years. Now we all know. What would we do without TROVE ?

Cheers Mike.

[Ross Ewington]

Here is a D.I.C. card (from the 1920s) with a view of the church at Port Arthur ....'roof on'!!

sd1155.jpg (275.25 KiB) Viewed 5538 times

Fellowes probably acquired the negative from or through W.J. Little as the church was destroyed by fire in 1884
when he was only 6 years of age!

[Mike]

What street is this funeral procession travelling along in Hobart. Any ideas whose funeral ? Card is unused and has no date.

scan0631.jpg (397.29 KiB) Viewed 5530 times

[Ross Ewington]

Mike,

I think it's in Elizabeth Street between Melville and Brisbane Streets ... the photo may have even been taken from outside Fellowe's shop.

No idea as to who the unlucky departed was but it looks to have been someone 'eminent'

Would you be able to post an enlargement of the shopfronts downhill from the hearse and an image of the 'stamp box' on the verso so I may
be able to pinpoint the location and determine the approx. production date?

[admin]

I agree with Ross. It looks close to the old site of Ash Besters in Elizabeth St, and I think you can see the laneway, bricked in for nearly 100 years, than now leads into the current location of Ethos restaurant.

[Ross Ewington]

Google Streetview to the rescue!! ...I think this image 'nails' the location...

streetview elizabeth street.jpg (337.5 KiB) Viewed 5528 times

The shop with the dormer window is at 134 Elizabeth Street - no longer "Chado" but now "Tasman Quartermasters" cafe and wine sellers.

The concrete-rendered building to the left of the row of conjoined shops was built in 1920 - as it is absent in Mike's photo it indicates that the funeral cortège passed by here before that year.

I wasn't quite right about where Fellowes took the photo ...close (but no cigar!)

Turning to look up Elizabeth Street you can see Fellowes' former shop (arrow pointer provided)

171 elizabeth street.jpg (72.11 KiB) Viewed 5528 times

[Mike]

Ross, thankyou for all the information regarding the funeral procession postcard.

Must of been a rather important person to have a funeral procession this size through the main streets of Hobart.

Mike.

[GarethL]

Fantastic. Thanks to Mike here, and his kindly supplying me with some key information, W. Fellowes has a become a person of interest to me. Not least because I know strongly suspect I have one of his postcards.

I do have a very important question though, does anyone know if he was ever involved in taking moving pictures?

Here's my postcard, photo apr 1925, purchase date after 1932, I believe 1933.

20180427_181308.jpg (197.71 KiB) Viewed 3806 times

[Mike]

For you Gareth. Not postally used, so no dates on the back of the postcard.

zoo.jpg (303 KiB) Viewed 3802 times

[GarethL]

Fabtastic. That one is not often seen, certainly I've not seen it before anyway.

Date wise, I think it's around 1925. The original pair arrived from Melbourne in 1924, after a while the female took sick and was expected to die, so they brought in a replacement for her. She didn't die, not then at least, so they ended up with three. Or, it's later during the 30's, by which time they had four, till they shot one for cost. Looking at the preservation of the mural though I'm going to say I'd go for 1925 ish first.

Thank you very much for posting this it might well turn out to be invaluable.