About a month ago, a LEE ‘relative’ in the USA, who I’ve recently made contact with, emailed a couple of photos of a brother of her forebear, Charles LEE (1841-1929). Charles LEE being the brother of my great-grandfather Edward LEE (1840-1898).
The question….are the photos of Edward LEE?
One of the photos is labelled Stewart and Co., Melbourne. I found a brief history of the company on the Cambridge University Library website as part of a project The Royal Commonwealth Society Photograph Collection.
The project is a history of photographers active in the Commonwealth and the images taken.
| Robert Stewart was a commercial photographer active in Australia. He had studios in: 267 Pitt Street, Sydney 1863-64; 396 George Street, Sydney 1867-68; 348 George Street, Sydney 1868-70. From 1871 Stewart also had a studio at 217 Bourke Street East, Melbourne. This studio seems to have become known as Stewart and Co.. Stewart and Co. occupied a (sic) various studios in Bourke Street, Melbourne, until circa 1900 (Davies and Stanbury 1985, p.235). | |||
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The fact that the photographers were not in business as Stewart and Co. in Melbourne until after 1871 rules out the possibility that the photo is of the other LEE brother known to have emigrated to Australia, that is, George Williams LEE, as he died in Maffra, Victoria in 1864.
I think you’d have to agree that the gentleman in the two photos above from the USA, who I suspect are of the same person, bears a striking resemblance to the gentleman in the locket owned by my grandmother, Mary Grace Jane COGHLAN (née LEE) (1881-1958), one of Edward LEE’s three daughters.
In a previous blog post, The Locket, I came to the likely conclusion that the images were of my grandmother’s parents: Mary Jane LEE (née CAMERON) (c1852-1934), known as Jean, and Edward LEE (1840-1898). Now, with the likenesses from the USA of ‘Charles LEE’s brother’ matching the photo in my grandmother’s locket this raises the probability even higher that it is indeed, my great-grandfather, Edward LEE, in the locket.
I was really excited to receive the images from the USA. They are a very valuable addition to the LEE story in Australia. So many thanks LEE ‘relative’!
What a fine looking man he was! Interesting getting photos of great grandfather from America.
Aren’t we lucky to have these photos! I reckon the one with his top hat was probably his wedding day. Great beard.