Summary

Thirteen pieces of cut-up waterside worker's flannel shirts, originally worn by James Farr Saunders (senior) to wick up sweat. The pieces were being prepared for repurposing for uses such as blankets and patches, seen in items previously donated by the family.

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. 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.

Physical Description

Thirteen pieces of flannel that originally were part of a stevedore's shirt. They comprise one cuff (?), four short sleeves, two front panels, two yoke sections (?), one yoke, two lower back panels (shirttails) and one pocket (possibly a watch pocket, due to its small size).

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