Scotch College

Treasures of the archives

It is 150 years since the birth of our third principal, William Still Littlejohn. As if to commemorate this, his dressing case has just been generously donated to us by his grandson Arch Simpson (’42).

The case was a gift from A F Clunies Ross who wrote that ‘the body is made out of a coconut tree over 70 years old — & the top and bottom is from our [Christmas Island] ironwood (cordia subcordata), the most endurable of woods in the tropics.’

This cylindrical wooden gentleman’s dressing case (pictured with Archivist Dr Jim Mitchell) has a shield with WSL monogram on the lid. Inside is a set of glass jars with metal (silver?) tops held in leather compartments, a leather cigar case, a pencil case, and a leather comb case. The underside of the lid contained a mirror.

The lid of the snug leather carrying case is embossed with the initials WSL.

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