| Accession No |
2014.60.9
|
| Name/Title |
PHOTOGRAPH; Sarah Maude Jameson
|
| Brief Description |
A black and white cabinet photograph of Sarah Maude Jameson (later Rule), grandmother of the donor. Studio portrait of a girl wearing a long white dress over dark stockings, standing and holding a violin and bow as if she were playing it. Polished tables behind her. Mounted on card. Sarah is aged 11 years and 10 months in the photograph which was given to her grandmother.
Sarah Maude Jameson was born on 4 July 1886, daughter of Louisa and William who had three other daughters; Annie Grace in 1884, Ethel Jane in 1890, and Olive Faith in 1892.
The Jameson family moved to Whanganui where Louisa and William took positions at Wanganui Collegiate School as a cook and a caretaker. They ensured their daughters all had musical tuition but only Sarah kept up with playing her instrument, the violin.
Sarah Maude Jameson married Basil Rule in 1908. They had three children; Haydn Arthur in 1908, Rita Maude in 1910, and Basil Maurice in 1915. Basil and Sarah had an unhappy marriage and divorced early; Sarah retained care of the children. At the time there was no benefit available to solo mothers so Sarah supported her family by playing the violin. Some details of these are available in the Rule Archives (2014.60.1).
At the age of seven, Haydn was permitted to decide which parent he wanted to live with, and chose his wealthy father instead of his mother. Sarah kept custody of Rita who was a troubled child, never speaking a word in her life and having to be institutionalised around the age of 10 in Wellington where she remained until her death in 1957 at age 47.
Sarah kept up with her violin playing until her death in a vehicle accident in Lower Hutt in 1968 aged 81. Basil Rule died in 1954 aged 68.
|
| Classification |
Print, Photographic/Documentary Artifact/Communication Artifacts/Nomenclature
|
| Primary Maker |
Partington, William Henry Thomas (b.1855, d.1940)
|
| Primary Prod Date |
May 1897
|
| Primary Prod Period |
19th century
|
| Primary Prod Place |
Whanganui/Aotearoa/New Zealand
|
| Measurement Reading |
16.7 x 10.7cm
14.4 x 10.1cm
|
| Signature/Marks |
Partington / Wanganui
Sarah Maud Jameson / aged 11 years & 10 Month / For Grandma / With Best love
|
|
|
