It's A Small World...'meeting' Helmut Gritscher.

and just when you thought this was turning into a cooking blog!

Helmut Gritscher is one of the photographers whose work appeared in my 1968, much loved, tip-shopped, copy of Life in Australia (see here, here, here and here - and that's just for starters! There's more - hit the search button if you're interested...)

Windsor Castle Hotel

Sadly, I haven't really had the pleasure of meeting him, but about a month ago I received this email:

Hello!
My name is Romedia and I live in Austria. I found a Photo in your Blog of Helmut Gritscher - Surf girl. Do you know the Photographer? - He is my neighbour... His family lives in Australia... I think he is looking for it!
Hope for an answer,
Romedia Fischler

I replied to Romedia straight away.
(I was just a little bit excited! You get that, right?)

I thought it was so cool (and a little bit crazy!), that a smelly old book I'd picked up at the tip for peanuts, elicited a response from someone on the other-side-of-the world, with a very real connection to a man whose (wonderful) photos of life in Australia appeared among its pages.
 
There are photos of:

"battlers, hippies in duffle coats and Beatle mops, fat pudgy Mums with moustaches and shopping bags, wharfies and waiters, God botherers, nymphos, dragsters, not-so-handsome stockbrokers, plus a fair sprinkling of Aborigines"

to quote the intro written by Craig McGregor. These are just some of his descriptions btw, a few of my favourites, but it was hard to choose - they're all fabulous (and very funny!)

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In my email to Romedia, I offered to send my copy of Life in Australia to Mr Gritscher - it is his more than mine after all, don't you reckon?*

Our conversation continued:

I think he would be lucky if he could get a copy. Please send it to me. I think he has no computer... He is now about 80 years old and he was ill, now he could not speak any more but he is still okay and he he takes a few photos... He is a great person. My father nows him well. We live in that house already for 2 years. My grandma lives here. Now I see him every 2 days when he is going for a walk. I also love taking photos. I think he was a great photographer in Australia, right? His family - his wife and son I think went home to Austraila a long time ago and he is very sad because he didn't see them any more. Now he is 80 years old. Is there something in the book about his family? Perhaps you could`t help me to find his family?

Regards,

Romedia

It has taken me far too long to write this post. I meant to get it up and out there much sooner than this - that's just how it goes sometimes...but please, if there is anybody out there who knows anything about Mr Gritscher's family here in Australia, drop me a note (there's a link to my email address up there on the right hand side), if you are happy for me to pass on your details to Romedia I will.  

I know it's a long shot, but you "never know your luck in the big city" - after all, I never, ever expected to hear from Romedia in the first place!

(photographs of milk bars and delis like this one, are all the rage at the moment, according to Anth)

Of course, I have no knowledge of the circumstances surrounding Mr Gritscher's separation from his family. It's none of my business either. However as you read above, he is a very old man and it would be pretty special if he could be reunited with them. I'll leave it with you and the rest of the blogosphere. Feel free to copy and share bits of this post if you're so inclined (I'm being a bit hopeful here, I know).

All the best to you and your family, Kylie x

* After a visit to Australia Post I will be unable to send the whole book to Austria. Even by sea it was going to cost a bomb (and I'm not entirely confident sending things by sea - too many parcels to far flung places have gone AWOL in my experience) Instead I am going to have Mr Gritscher's photographs copied professionally, and post those instead. I felt I needed to mention this in the spirit of honesty. 

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All photographs Helmut Gritscher.

Life in Australia edited by Craig McGregor and David Beal, 1968.