Sydney Jewish Museum Collection

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Actions Displays	Remove from selection Add to selection Object numberM2013/015 DescriptionPhotograph of Miriam Fashions shop window, located on 36 Macquarie St, Parramatta. The business was opened by the donor’s parents Kurt and Ester (Elsa) Billig on 21 August 1953. Kurt and Ester were originally from Vienna. Kurt was a silk tie manufacturer and Ester was trained in dressmaking. They escaped to Australia in 1938 with no English and little money. They worked in the 'schmatte' (or rag trade) industry and were eventually able to first open a men’s fashion shop in Parramatta followed by a women’s shop, Miriam Fashions. Their daughter, Irene recalls memories of helping her parents out in the shop and the merchandise available. She recalls many of the Jews in the industry which her parents worked with, and the shopping culture of the 1950s in Parramatta. Many Jewish migrants who arrived in Australia just before and after the Holocaust found work in the fashion industry. A reason being that they often came with little and the industry had low entry barriers and many had skills in the area. The garment industry was an affordable means to re-establish their livelihood. Production placeSydney, New South Wales, Australia Production date 1953 - 1960 Subjectrag trade, clothing shops, clothing industry workers, refugees, re-establishing lives, window displays, shops, schmattes Object namephotographs Materialphotographic emulsion, paper, paper Dimensions width: 223.00 mm height: 174.00 mm Credit lineSydney Jewish Museum Collection, Donated by Irene Smith

Object numberM2013/015

DescriptionPhotograph of Miriam Fashions shop window, located on 36 Macquarie St, Parramatta. The business was opened by the donor’s parents Kurt and Ester (Elsa) Billig on 21 August 1953. Kurt and Ester were originally from Vienna. Kurt was a silk tie manufacturer and Ester was trained in dressmaking. They escaped to Australia in 1938 with no English and little money. They worked in the 'schmatte' (or rag trade) industry and were eventually able to first open a men’s fashion shop in Parramatta followed by a women’s shop, Miriam Fashions.

Their daughter, Irene recalls memories of helping her parents out in the shop and the merchandise available. She recalls many of the Jews in the industry which her parents worked with, and the shopping culture of the 1950s in Parramatta.

Many Jewish migrants who arrived in Australia just before and after the Holocaust found work in the fashion industry. A reason being that they often came with little and the industry had low entry barriers and many had skills in the area. The garment industry was an affordable means to re-establish their livelihood.

Production placeSydney, New South Wales, Australia

Production date 1953 - 1960

Subjectrag trade, clothing shops, clothing industry workers, refugees, re-establishing lives, window displays, shops, schmattes

Object namephotographs

Materialphotographic emulsion, paper, paper

Dimensions

Credit lineSydney Jewish Museum Collection, Donated by Irene Smith

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