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dressing the part

Ruth and Richard Parker — A fairy and a native American warrior pose for the family camera, c1919. Otherwise known as Ruth and Richard Parker, the children were the 4 year old daughter and 6 year old son of Dr Leslie Parker. The setting is the garden of Amadown, the family home in Rose Bay.

Vi Lavery — Vi Lavery of Double Bay in fancy dress costume based on 'Turf' cigarette boxes for a fundraising costume party, c1920s.

Fancy dress party group — Members of the Lavery family and others in fancy dress costume, c1920. Fund raising fancy dress parties were held to raise money for various causes such as supporting injured soldiers from the First World War.

Paddington Baseball Team — Members of the Paddington Baseball Team and umpire, 1909. The team were the leaders in the local competition and were dressed in their uniform for a match held in July at the Sydney Cricket Ground against visiting Columbia Park, a baseball team from California.

Rose Bay football team — Proudly wearing the Captain's jersey is young Jack Garret (back row fourth from left), the linchpin of Rose Bay Public School's 1910

School play — Dressed for drama, young performers from the Vaucluse Grammar School are captured in character before a performance at the Rose Bay Hall in 1916. The play, a theatrical adaption of Charles Dickens' "Pickwick Papers", was overseen by the school's Headmaster, Mr Dimlow (pictured left, back row).

Lawrence H Cecil — Young actor, Lawrence H Cecil, in costume, early 20th century (Photographer: May Moore). May Moore and her sister Minnie specialised in photographs of actors, musicians, writers and artists. Lawrence Cecil was an Australian actor and producer whose career took him abroad for a number of years before he returned to Australia and settled in Double Bay.

Lawrence H Cecil and actor in costume — Lawrence H Cecil (standing) and another actor in costume for a stage production, undated (Photographer: Rew Hoffman). Australian actor and producer, Lawrence Cecil, starred in a number of Broadway productions between 1928 and 1930 including "Twelfth Night" in which he played Sir Toby Belch (possibly featured in this photograph).

Sarah and Kitty Lavery with friends — Sarah and Kitty Lavery with friends in fancy dress costume at a gala night, at the White City Amusement Park, Rushcutters Bay, c1914. Sarah Lavery, who lived in Court Road, Double Bay, ran a dressmaking business in the city while sister Kitty was a manicurist.

Una Syms and Hope Major — Una Syms and Hope Major in fancy dress costume at a Gala night, at the White City Amusement Park, Rushcutters Bay, c1914. White City management advertised gala nights and fancy dress carnivals where prizes were awarded for the best costumes.

Japanese Village — The Japanese Village at Sydney's White City amusement park, c1914. The village offered a glimpse into an imagined world of Japanese culture, complete with this tableau vivant wearing traditional dress.

Roller skating instructors — Roller skating instructors at White City amusement park, Rushcutters Bay, c1914. The 'Vice-regal rink' was advertised as offering a 'perfect floor, clean, fast, no dust and noiseless' open air skating rink. The smart jackets worn by the roller skating instructors included braiding and decorative fastenings (frogs) reminiscent of military uniform.

Floral float — Woollahra Council's floral float, 1938. Part of Australia's sesquicentenary celebrations of 1938, Council's elaborate float featured young women and small girls in costumes representing native Australian flora.

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