Show Posts

This section allows you to view all posts made by this member. Note that you can only see posts made in areas you currently have access to.


Messages - garyatkinson

Pages: [1] 2
1
Handwriting Deciphering & Recognition / Re: Mystery Woman - E Levett
« on: Thursday 24 April 14 12:31 BST (UK)  »
Hi Carol. Yes, I agree. It is worth investigating children of great aunts and uncles. I have picked up an Esther Levitt, having taken exams at the Hull Centre for the London College of Music in 1930. But I am now asking myself does 1930 fit in with the age of the photograph which would be twenty years earlier than I estimated?

2
Handwriting Deciphering & Recognition / Re: Mystery Woman - E Levett
« on: Thursday 24 April 14 11:58 BST (UK)  »
Hi Carol. I have also found a piece in the Hull Daily Mail announcing results of Exams taken "at the Hull Centre of the National College of Music London". In the list there is an Esther Levett,. But these examinations took place in 1935 and I feel sure that this outdates the time of the picture being taken. Certainly the Esther Levett mentioned in the paper is not my great grandmother  I know this for a fact. It is Esther's, Ellen, who was far more likely to be the person to have gone to university or college. In addition, I am doubtful, though not one hundred per cent sure, that the Barry photograph studio existed by then.
However, the 1935 article is making me wonder if there was a younger Esther Levett in the family, someone who was named after my great grandmother. I feel that I am very close now but is the trail going to go cold again...? I am waiting for a reply from the London University. It would be helpful if I  could find out where the Hull examinations took place. Probably Hull University by 1935 but not in 1910 as this was before the university opened.

3
Handwriting Deciphering & Recognition / Re: Mystery Woman - E Levett
« on: Thursday 24 April 14 10:03 BST (UK)  »
Thanks China and to everyone that is trying to help out with this. Amazing that people unrelated can put in such effort. I am now feeling more sure that her identity will be cracked. All the more so, when as a result of Arthur's link, I got up this morning to receive this email from the Secretary of The Burgon Society in Oxford which reads;

"Dear Gary

Thanks for your enquiry.

What a charming photograph!  These are the robes for an Associate of the London College of Music - ALCM.  The black gown has gathers on the sleeve at the elbow and over these are laid three vertical cords, which would be light blue.  This combination of features is unique to the LCM gown.  The tassel on the black square cap would also be light blue.  Associates do not wear an academic hood with their gown; holders of higher grades of diploma from the LCM do. The College was founded in 1887 and was an independent teaching and examining body based in central London, holding examinations at centres around the country. In 1993 the LCM was amalgamated with Thames Valley University, now the University of West London..."

I am trying to contact the University whilst at the same time I am trying to find out if any such exams were taken, at the time, in the Hull area.

4
Handwriting Deciphering & Recognition / Re: Mystery Woman - E Levett
« on: Wednesday 23 April 14 19:26 BST (UK)  »
Carol, Arthur and snowyw, your posts create a combined question.
I did notice that there was an Ellen Levitt who received a scholarship for evening class in Hull in 1924 but this would not necessitate such an outfit to receive such a scholarship, or would it? If it did, would that kind of photograph  "a cabinet card... or Carte de Visite" be produced in '24?

snowyw, you raise a good point about the activities of the Barry studio. This is something that I have tried to look into in the hopes that a closure date may give a clue, at least, as to when the latest possible date for the photograph could have been for it to be taken. The Barry studio seems to have been very active in the latter half of the 1800s but the activity seems to taper off in the early 1900s. To date I do not know when the studio closed bot it does appear to be later than 1900.

5
Handwriting Deciphering & Recognition / Re: Mystery Woman - E Levett
« on: Wednesday 23 April 14 17:11 BST (UK)  »
Fantastic Arthur. Just the sort of thing that I was hoping for. Frustratingly, I cannot get in touch with the person that uploaded this photograph as they are not very active on the site that it is on.
I agree that the colour of the hat's tassel, which may gold or white may be significant. At first, this looks normal but having now looked at numerous outfits for English universities, I am beginning to feel that this is more unusual. This is the same for the three stripes on the arm.
I understand that there is a gown design for MA and another for BA but I cannot decide which one it is that she is wearing. Could you comment. I am also uncertain as to whether the difference that I am seeing in the gown that she is wearing (gathered sleeves to the elbow, pinned or stitched just below the three stripes) compared to more modern gowns (1940s onwards) is just an older design of one of the two gowns mentioned above. My hope is that gowns were like school uniforms colours and designs; unique to their particular school.  I will go and have a look at the link that you provided. Many thanks.

6
Handwriting Deciphering & Recognition / Re: Mystery Woman - E Levett
« on: Wednesday 23 April 14 16:56 BST (UK)  »
Hi Carol. Any scrap of possibility is of interest. Thanks. I have just trawled swiftly through a.com, looking for her again. After 1901 all of the brothers and sisters are still there, in Hull but no Ellen. I agree that, this being the case, she may have moved out of town (to go to university?), took a liking to where she went and stayed there. Is there any recommendation as to how I could follow up the small cutting that you posted up? I suppose I would need to find a census for the area, this would give the place of birth... If it turned out to be Hull, then it would be likely to our Ellen.

7
Yorkshire (East Riding & York) / Re: Mystery Woman - E Levitt - Hull Est Yorkshire
« on: Wednesday 23 April 14 15:50 BST (UK)  »
You are right, Rosie, and I have discounted it as being Esther. The question remains, is it Ellen. I know nothing about her other than her birth and address from a 1901 census. could it be that along with her possible time at university, she moved away from Hull? A recent conversation with my mother revealed that she could remember her grandmother (Esther) and Esther's brothers William and Albert but not Ellen, which might also suggest that she had left town... But if so, where to?...

8
Handwriting Deciphering & Recognition / Re: Photo of Royal Marine died 1944 HMS Fiji
« on: Wednesday 23 April 14 13:08 BST (UK)  »
Good point. Not a good idea to loose ones head in an emergency.

9
Yorkshire (East Riding & York) / Re: Levitt search Hull
« on: Wednesday 23 April 14 13:04 BST (UK)  »
Hi Angela.
I'm not surprised that you would like some more info to see where I fit in with all of this. Esther Levitt, who was a sister of William Elijah Levitt, is my great grandmother. Esther gave birth to my grandmother, Elsie, in 1904. Elsie married Sam Strafford and in 1926 gave birth to my mother. I am 58.

Pages: [1] 2