Darge Photographic Company collection of negatives

Studio portrait of Sheldon, probably either 4516 Private (Pte) Arthur Sheldon, 21st Battalion or 2401 Pte Sydney Sheldon, 22nd Battalion. Pte Arthur Sheldon, originally from Huddersfield, England, was an upholsterer from North Fitzroy, Victoria prior to enlistment and embarked with the 11th Reinforcements from Melbourne on RMS Orontes on 29 March 1916. Following his arrival in England he was found to be overage and suffering from general debility. He returned to Australia on 18 November 1916. Pte Sydney Sheldon, a salesman from Moonee Ponds, Victoria prior to enlistment, embarked with the 5th Reinforcements from Melbourne on RMS Orontes on 29 September 1915. Whilst serving in France his knee was badly damaged and he returned to Australia on 12 March 1918 and was medically discharged. This is one of a series of photographs taken by the Darge Photographic Company which had the concession to take photographs at the Broadmeadows and Seymour army camps during the First World War. In the 1930s, the Memorial purchased the original glass negatives from Algernon Darge, along with the photographers' notebooks. The notebooks contain brief details, usually a surname or unit name, for each negative.