Do you know who this man is? The Museum of the Riverina wants to hear from you. Pictures: Museum of the Riverina.
He is a permanent face at Wagga Wagga’s Museum of the Riverina Historic Council Chambers site, but no-one knows who he is.
Now the hunt is on to identify him.
Museum of the Riverina Curator Michelle Maddison said people who’d seen his picture often remarked at how content and handsome he was, but he remained a mystery that the Museum was keen to solve.
“We know that the photo was taken in Wagga Wagga, in someone’s backyard, in the 1930s or 1940s by looking at his clothes,” Ms Maddison said.
“It was part of a collection of photos that were photos taken in Wagga, because there are specific landmarks that are named and we can see where they are, but this one? No. No-one knows, not even the local historians.”
The frustration has now sparked an open request to readers, locals, and anyone who likes to solve puzzles, to help.
“Historically there’s nothing worse than when you get a beautiful photo like this and you don’t know anything about it,” Ms Maddison said.
The full picture of the man sitting on a cane chair wearing braces and clothing that suggest the 1930s or 1940s.
The house in the background may have offered a clue, but nearly 100 years since the photo was taken, the contented man looks back at us with a gentle smile, and is seemingly in no rush to fill in the history blanks as to who he is.
Why was this man smiling so gently? Who was he and what did he do? The question also extends to who was taking the photo? Was it someone he knew, such as a loved one? Or was he simply musing at the new technology being used to capture his image while he was seated in a backyard?
Ms Maddison believes the photo was taken on an Eastman Kodak camera which was popular and inexpensive.
“Probably a box Brownie because they were fairly small photos,” Ms Maddison surmised.
“Of course they were black and white, and the thing I love about it is period; nine times out of 10, photos were taken outside, presumably because the lighting was good.
“I love that they used to just drag the furniture outside, because I doubt that seat would have stayed there. It would have been on a porch or with something inside.”
The museum is hoping Region readers and their connections might solve the mystery, as the photo has no writing on the back, and no clues were offered in the group of photos as to who this man is.
“I think it would be really exciting if we solved this,” Ms Maddison said.
“It’s such a lovely relaxed photo and he just looks so content and calm and it’s just an inviting photograph.”
The enlarged photo of the mystery man is on permanent display in the Wagga Museum of the Riverina Historic Council Chambers at 243 Baylis St, Wagga Wagga. Opening hours are Tuesdays to Saturdays, 10 am – 4 pm, and Sundays, 10 am – 2 pm. Monday: closed. Contact phone: (02) 6926 9655, email: [email protected] Entry is free, but donations are welcome and are used towards the museum.
