Photo album that belonged to Raymond McLean Becker
Object numberM2021/035
TitlePhoto album that belonged to Raymond McLean Becker
DescriptionPhoto album containing photographs of Raymond Becker as a travelling salesman travelling between Sydney and Townsville between 1929 and 1930.
Additional loose photograph of the interior of a fashion store in Maryborough taken c. 1950.
Raymond McLean Becker was born in Sydney in 1909 to Vince and Gertrude Sarah Elizabeth Becker (nee Anderson). His mother was as Jewish. He had six siblings: Ernest, Vin, George, John and Nancy and Jean.
Raymond grew up in Strathfield and attended North Strathfield primary school. At the age of about 20, he began work as a travelling salesman on behalf of Harold Edward Gaggin who owned a women’s fashion and accessories business based in Dubbo.
Between 1929 and 1930, Raymond and his colleague, drove a Ford Model T from Sydney to Townsville, the vehicle advertising “Harold Gaggin: Travelling the West with the best of ladies wear”. In their vehicle they carried roughly 200 garments and accessories and set up temporary boutiques in local pubs, hotels and halls in the regional towns of both New South Wales and Queensland. These boutiques were only in place for a few days before the pair moved on to the next town.
Hillston, Narromine, Canbelego, Gilgandra, Tooraweenah, Condobolin and Rockhampton are a few of the locations that they visited.
Their journey was not without its struggles. In October 1929, their vehicle was bogged for 23 hours between Cobar and Hillston. After their attempts to manoeuvre the vehicle using logs and branches, they were given aid and eventually pulled out of the mud using 16 horses.
A glimpse of what their travelling boutique may have sold is provided by an advertisement in The Gilgandra Weekly which advertised the travelling boutique on Thursday 28 March 1929:
“Every woman who is interested in smart dressing should not fail to inspect the exceptionally fine showing of new season’s fashion goods, which will be displayed at Gilgandra… The range includes 150 smart frocks, coats, jumper suites and costumes and fifty smart hats; also shoes, dress lengths, cardigans, pleated skirts, hosiery, etc.”
Following this journey, Raymond began his own lingerie business which also travelled around regional Queensland. He would continue to identify as a “traveller” for the rest of his life.
Raymond married Agnes May Peterson in 1958 in Townsville. She had served as a nursing sister during World War II.
Raymond passed away on 6 February 1977.
Additional loose photograph of the interior of a fashion store in Maryborough taken c. 1950.
Raymond McLean Becker was born in Sydney in 1909 to Vince and Gertrude Sarah Elizabeth Becker (nee Anderson). His mother was as Jewish. He had six siblings: Ernest, Vin, George, John and Nancy and Jean.
Raymond grew up in Strathfield and attended North Strathfield primary school. At the age of about 20, he began work as a travelling salesman on behalf of Harold Edward Gaggin who owned a women’s fashion and accessories business based in Dubbo.
Between 1929 and 1930, Raymond and his colleague, drove a Ford Model T from Sydney to Townsville, the vehicle advertising “Harold Gaggin: Travelling the West with the best of ladies wear”. In their vehicle they carried roughly 200 garments and accessories and set up temporary boutiques in local pubs, hotels and halls in the regional towns of both New South Wales and Queensland. These boutiques were only in place for a few days before the pair moved on to the next town.
Hillston, Narromine, Canbelego, Gilgandra, Tooraweenah, Condobolin and Rockhampton are a few of the locations that they visited.
Their journey was not without its struggles. In October 1929, their vehicle was bogged for 23 hours between Cobar and Hillston. After their attempts to manoeuvre the vehicle using logs and branches, they were given aid and eventually pulled out of the mud using 16 horses.
A glimpse of what their travelling boutique may have sold is provided by an advertisement in The Gilgandra Weekly which advertised the travelling boutique on Thursday 28 March 1929:
“Every woman who is interested in smart dressing should not fail to inspect the exceptionally fine showing of new season’s fashion goods, which will be displayed at Gilgandra… The range includes 150 smart frocks, coats, jumper suites and costumes and fifty smart hats; also shoes, dress lengths, cardigans, pleated skirts, hosiery, etc.”
Following this journey, Raymond began his own lingerie business which also travelled around regional Queensland. He would continue to identify as a “traveller” for the rest of his life.
Raymond married Agnes May Peterson in 1958 in Townsville. She had served as a nursing sister during World War II.
Raymond passed away on 6 February 1977.
Production placeAustralia
Production date 1925 - 1930
Subjectpre-World War II, sales personnel
Object namephoto albums
Materialpaper, metal, fibres (fabrics)
Techniquephotography, bolted, handwritten, debossed
Dimensions
- a width: 270.00 mm
a width: 470.00 mm
a height: 210.00 mm
b width: 215.00 mm
b height: 160.00 mm
Language
- English
Credit lineSydney Jewish Museum Collection, Donated by William Ross Harris
In appreciation to the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany (Claims Conference) for supporting this archival project.