Summary

Bound 64 page soft covered exercise book used for learning Italian by Elizabeth Euphemia Saunders circa 1970-1971. Book contains language lessons between English and Italian.

Part of a collection of objects, documents and photographs from the Saunders family home in Williamstown Road, Port Melbourne. Elizabeth Jane Taylor Saunders (nee Elliott) (1894-1971) and James (Jimmy) Farr Saunders (1888-1974) bought the house in 1928, financed by the State Savings Bank of Victoria. James was a stevedore, working on the Melbourne docks, notably Station Pier, and was actively involved in the Port Phillip Stevedores Association and later the Waterside Workers' Federation. Elizabeth Jane was a skilled seamstress, making clothing for her family, mending, creating soft furnishings such as cushions and blankets, and doing decorative needlework. They had five children, of whom four survived to adulthood. After Elizabeth and James passed away their daughter Elizabeth Euphemia, a dental nurse and later language teacher, became the sole occupant of the house, carefully preserving its contents as decades passed. Her niece proposed the donation of the household contents to Museum Victoria, a rare and significant record of 20th century family life in Melbourne.

Physical Description

Bound rectangular exercise book with 64 off white internal pages and a blue soft cardboard cover. Front cover features logo for 'Embassy' along with additional white text. Back cover features 'Embassy' logo amongst a white repetitive pattern on blue background. Internal pages feature extensive handwritten text in grey pencil, and blue and red ink. Text written in both English and Italian. Final page has been torn out and first internal page is unsecured. Book secured by two staples along the spine.

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