Mervyn o gorman biography sampler

A century after mind photographed, she caught the speak to of social media and illustriousness world’s press—but only now break away we know who Christina in reality was.

100-year-old images of a mademoiselle in red, taken by Replacement Colonel Mervyn O’Gorman at Lulworth Cove in 1913, went stream a storm on social routes and even caught the tend of the world’s press.

Several said that the photos looked almost contemporary; others called breach ‘a Flickr pin-up for birth 20th century’.

One question remained: who was Christina, the star sculpt in the captivating images cult show in our Drawn near Light exhibition? Initially, she was thought to be the girl of O’Gorman, the amateur lensman who took the photographs.

However research showed he had ham-fisted children, meaning her true lack of variety remained unknown—until now.

As a emulsion of seeing the images slur a newspaper, retired technician Author Riddle contacted our curator sell like hot cakes Photographs and Photographic Technology, Colin Harding, to say he esoteric a set of stereoscopic slides by Mervyn O’Gorman, which challenging been passed to him insensitive to his father-in-law.

Colin picks up justness story:

We’re very grateful to Writer for contacting us and were genuinely thrilled to see excellence images.

After all the just out attention Christina had been derivation I hoped they’d give revered sufficient clues to finally try out her identity. It turns unmixed Christina wasn’t O’Gorman’s daughter. Really, she wasn’t a relative—either tip or distant.

From piecing together rendering information from the stereo-autochromes we’ve been able to solve rendering mystery of Christina’s identity.

Churn out full name was Christina Elizabeth Frances Bevan and she was born in Harrow on 8 March 1897. Christina was significance daughter of Edwyn Robert Bevan and Hon. Mary Waldegrave, who was known to family additional friends as Daisy. They esoteric two daughters—Christina, and Anne Bevan—and lived just a two-minute advance from the O’Gormans’ family home.

We might never know what leadership precise relationship was between justness two families but, whatever integrity link, both families were plainly on friendly, first-name terms.

Beyond question, the friendship was sufficient fit in Mervyn to accompany Daisy instruct her two daughters on dexterous trip to Lulworth Cove corner August 1913, where he took portraits of Christina.

If it wasn’t for Stephen taking the concern to contact us and allocation these beautiful autochromes, we courage never have discovered the dark of who Christina was.

Buy prints

If you’d like your own printing of Mervyn O’Gorman’s photographs discount Christina, you can order slot via the Science & Company Picture Library.