Chesterman Collection (1935 - c1940)
Home movie collection
Series synopsis:
The Chesterman Collection consists of 25 reels of colour and black-and-white 16 mm film taken by Dr Ewan Murray-Will between 1935 and approximately 1940.
Much of the footage contains members of the Ballets Russes du Monte Carlo during their 1936–37 tour of Australia. This includes footage of staged performances filmed from the wings, as well as more informal footage of dancers performing at Bungan Beach in Sydney’s northern suburbs. The remaining footage is of Murray-Will’s own home movie recordings of holidays and outings (some of which also contains Ballets Russes members) between 1935 and approximately 1940.
Curator’s Notes:
Dr Ewan Murray-Will was a Sydney dermatologist and amateur filmmaker who became friends with a number of dancers from the Ballets Russes, in particular Hélène Kirsova who formed a ballet school in Sydney and founded the Kirsova Ballet. He filmed her wedding in 1940. Murray-Will’s acquaintance with Ballets Russes members allowed him to capture unique images of one of the world’s greatest dance companies. The Ballets Russes companies made three tours to Australia between 1936 and 1940. These tours were incredibly influential on the future direction of contemporary dance and ballet in Australia.
Murray-Will used a hand-held 16 mm movie camera to document excerpts from the repertoire of the Ballets Russes including scenes from Beau Danube, Petrouchka, Le Carnaval and Thamar. Most of the ballet footage is of the Ballets Russes du Monte Carlo (sometimes called Colonel W de Basil’s Monte Carlo Russian Ballet) and was recorded during the company’s 1936–37 tour.
The Chesterman Collection, containing the Murray-Will films, was donated to the National Film and Sound Archive in the mid-1990s by the Chesterman family. Murray-Wills was the Godfather to one of the Chesterman’s children, and the families were close friends. The National Library of Australia also holds a collection of photographs that Murray-Will took of various members of the Ballets Russes.
Titles in this collection
Monte Carlo Russian Ballet. Original Ballet Russe (c1936)
This footage, filmed by Ewan Murray-Will, shows staged sequences of the Ballets Russes’ repertoire on their tours to Australia. It includes excerpts from the ballets Le Beau Danube, Le Carnaval, Les Presage, Petrouchka and Thamar.
Murray-Will, Ewan: Ballet Russes in Australia: Home Movie (c1939)
On the sand and rocks of Bungan Beach, dancers from the Ballets Russes enact a drama for the camera and perform excerpts from their repertoire. Friend and balletomane Ewan Murray-Will films the action in a number of scenes. Some of ...
Murray-Will, Ewan: Ballet Russes: Home Movie (c1936)
This amateur footage, filmed by Ewan Murray-Will, captures two solo dancers from the Ballets Russes du Monte Carlo dancing on a Sydney beach and a grassy slope.
Murray-Will, Ewan: Ballets Russes, Hélène Kirsova’s Wedding: Home Movie (1938)
This amateur footage of Danish ballerina Hélène Kirsova’s wedding reception was filmed in 1938 by her friend and ballet-lover, Dr Ewan Murray-Will. Kirsova was part of the famous Ballets Russes ballet company which toured to Australia in the 1930s.
Murray-Will, Ewan: Ballets Russes: Home Movie (c1939)
Members from the Ballets Russes relax at the beach house of Ewan Murary-Will. Murray-Will films them dancing, picnicking on the grass, swimming and sunbathing at the beach.
Murray-Will, Ewan: Ballets Russes: Petrouchka: Carnaval: Aurora’s Wedding: Home Movie (c1936)
This silent footage, filmed by Ewan Murray-Will, shows the Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo performing scenes from Petrouchka, Carnaval, and Aurora’s Wedding during their 1936–37 tour of Australia.
