A couple more...

Last for tonight, a couple more photos.


This is Reg(gie), my uncle, at 8 years of age, but you'll notice someone (possibly Reg himself, at a later point) has put a query as to whether it might actually be his brother, Frank. This was taken by the USA Studios, who had branches all over London, and out in the 'provinces.'


My grandfather again, this time with a fancy hat. This is also on a postcard, and was produced by Hayne, The Broadway Studios (Next to the Bethel, Tooting, SW17). Phone Streatham 3498. (Celia and I lived in Tooting Bec when we were first married.)

More Crowl Photos

More Crowl family members - or at least more photos of them...


My father, Frank Crowl, taken in Melbourne. The photo was reproduced on a post card with the stamp: Artophot, 276 Lonsdale St, Melb. C.I. Phone C 4123. It looks as though he's dressed up for something; perhaps his wedding day.


My paternal grandfather, Arthur Crowl and his wife, Karolina (nee Brock) with her parents, Francis William Brock and his wife (whose name I don't know). Karolina, my grandmother, (spelt Karolena on my father's death certificate) was born in Germany in 1873, and died in England in 1962. Occasionally I received letters from her. I don't know anything about her parents, except that two of their boys had interesting names: George Washington Brock and William Thackeray Brock. The two boys are my father and my uncle, but I'm not sure which is which.


This is 'loving sister Milly' according to the back of the photo. She was my great aunt, and the sister of Karolena. She died aged 21, but I don't know anything more about her. On the back of her photo it says: Chaffin & Sons, Photographers, Cheap Street, Sherborne, Dorset.


This photo is a mystery. I don't know who it is, and there's nothing on the back to give any indication. Perhaps it's Milly again. The photographers were Bender & Lewis, 126 George St, Croydon - facing East Croydon Station. The had a 'Day and Electric Light Studio' and were 'Patronized by H.M the King, the King of the Belgians, the King of Portugal, etc, etc.' If there was an English King patronizing them, then this must have been at the beginning of the 20th century, I suspect, since Victoria would have been on the throne before that.

Some more Crowl portraits

My uncle Reg in boy scout uniform - and in the bath.


Reg as a young man with his Grandfather Brock.


My father on a horse? Bet it was just a pose. I've never heard of him riding a horse...
Though when you blow up the picture, he looks perfectly at ease, and even has the trademark cigarette holder in his mouth.



My father as a youngish man.

Some Crowl relatives

Some Crowl relatives:



Grandfather Brock - my great grandfather on my grandmother's side, about whom I know very little.



My grandfather, Arthur Charles Crowl.



As you can see from the scribble at the bottom, this could be either my Uncle Reg, or my father, Frank.



This photo has my father, Frank, in it. He's up the very back on the left, with glasses and a cigarette holder (his trademark). He's beside the fellow with the big grin. This set of men were amongst the best chess players around, in their day. They were attending the Australian Chess Championships, in 1960; this was five years before his death, so he would have been around 58 at the time. The next picture shows what's on the back of the photo (in my father's virtually illegible handwriting). Unfortunately it's not as clear as I'd like, but there were definitely some Russians amongst this group. If I can get the time, I'll type out what I can make out of it in due course. One person is described as someone's Pin Up Boy