What do you live by?
Let the maxims I have assembled for you become as stars in a crown that they may gather you brightness with the coming night.
Beloved One—Teach me—I pray of Thee—
To learn how to love and respect Your gracious self as I should.
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Teach me to cast aside all narrow thoughts of my neighbours and friends.
Teach me—I pray—
To deal lightly with my enemies that comfort may come to me through the purification of my thought of another. Even should they sin deeply against me, let my motto ever be the perfect word—
Forgiveness.
Let me try my utmost to enter into the joy of others without the sting of jealousy entering into my heart—that wonderful organ, which gives rise to the lifeblood of all breathing creatures—the core of the physical body—just as my Spirit is the core of my divinity within.
Faith, Hope and Charity go to make up the great and glorious existence of every Plane. So, dear Father, and Friend, knowing this as I do through Your kind and loving teaching, I ask Your blessing with the hope that my Faith and Charity unto others may become as godly as Thine own. Amen!
Fashion model underwater in dolphin tank, Marineland, Florida | Toni Frissell Collection (Library of Congress) |
Aspire to godliness by truthful living. It is the only way to succeed.
Two fashion models in front of a hand-drawn backdrop, c. 1948 | State Library of New South Wales
Thinking sincerely means to the mind what deep breathing means to the lungs.
Pat Woodley, 1952 | State Library of New South Wales
Try to bear all burdens, which are placed upon you, with a smiling face, for God knows just how much your back will bear, also what your share is to be. He has a reason—remember!
Australian Tennis magazine cover shot, March 1953 | Max Dupain & Associates
Thinking of a beautiful future life will always bring happy results to a weary mind. Try it.
Lisa Fonssagrives with an English bobby on a railway station platform | Toni Frissell | Harper's Bazaar, 1951 | Library of Congress |
Lilli Palmer (1914-1986), with husband, Rex Harrison (1908-1990) in the background | Toni Frissell (1907-1988)
To love in the true sense of the word is to welcome God into your heart.
Portrait of a man in a checked cardigan, Sydney telephone exchange, August 1946 | State Library of New South Wales
Think often of your neighbour in a generous, kindly way. He may not respond but God will, and bless you, for the kindly thought to a fellow creature.
Follow Band leader in Hyde Park, for Woman magazine cover, 18 April 1939 | Charles Wakeford | State Library of New South Wales
Pray sincerely and with love in your heart if you would have the Heavenly Father hear you.
J. Stanley Johnson with Father Christmas mask, 1947 | Max Dupain | State Library of New South Wales
If you make a promise, keep it, for a broken promise—however slight—puts the gall of distrust into the heart of the offended.
Joan Woodbury in There goes my girl, c. 1930 | Sam Hood | State Library of New South Wales
If you go through life trying to do as you would be done by you may be done by others, but the reward from above will come in time—great enough to repair all damage done to you.
Liza, Liz and Mike Todd, 1957 | Toni Frissell
A thoughtful silence several times each day if only for a few moments will bring you nearer to your Maker, therefore, rest to the tired mind. Try it once at least.
Elizabeth Taylor bottle-feeding newborn, Liza Todd, with her sons, Christopher and Michael H. Wilding, and her husband, Michael Todd, observing | Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, Toni Frissell Collection
Whenever you have cause to complain about your neighbour, figure in your own mind how much cause he has to complain about you. It will simplify matters greatly.
Thelma Afford with women in costumes for Sydney Sesqui-centenary March to Nationhood pageant | State Library of New South Wales
How to be true! How to be honest! Two great questions of the day and age. The answer is simple—
Pray sincerely for help from God. He will teach you how to be both honest and true if you will give Him your full trust.
Horn of Plenty, Victory Hat, worn by Marie Haigh, war loan series, 28 February 1945 | Grimes, PIX Magazine | State Library of New South Wales
Be careful of the ingredients you use to make up your daily life.
Let all kindly thoughts flow through you in a tranquil manner. Abrupt thought has a tendency to jar, in place of soothing.
Australian National Maritime Museum’s Gervais Purcell collection
To keep your mind clean you must bathe it in refreshing thoughts. Inspect yourself—
Do you need a mental house cleaning?
Betty Broadbent, the Tattooed Venus, Sydney, 1938 | Ray Olsen, Pix Magazine | State Library of New South Wales
Think of others as kindly as you do of yourself and there will be no doubt that you will recognise Charity whenever you meet her.
LCDR Julia Anna Muraresku (Bricker) Collection, USN Nurse Corps (1941-46)
May the God above bless you, and may you, in return, thank Him for the many gifts, which you have accepted of Him.
| Fashion model posing in an evening gown on the steps of the Jefferson Memorial, Washington, District of Columbia | Toni Frissell | Library of Congress |
God blesses all kindly thought—therefore, let yourself be blessed often if you would feel continual peace of mind.
Fashion model in a gown on the lawn at Tryall Plantation, Jamaica | Toni Frissell | Harper's Bazaar, October 1948 | Library of Congress |
The untroubled surface of the water is more soothing to gaze upon than a roughened and disturbed surface. Is it not true likewise that a tranquil face, reflecting kindly thought, is infinitely more pleasing to gaze upon than a troubled or angry one?
Australian National Maritime Museum’s Gervais Purcell collection
Mental and physical beauty together make a wonderful combination. If you are not blessed with a perfect body and beautiful face, cultivate your mind to such an extent that all who gaze upon you will forget the imperfection in admiration for the Spirit, which shines forth from you.
Higher thought always has an uplifting influence on the mind.
Museum Rotterdam
The greatest and the simplest thought is sublime, for a thought of such extremes can only mean God.
| Back view of fashion models in swimsuits | Harper's Bazaar, January 1950 | Library of Congress |
Fashion model Dovima wearing a bikini, lying on a platform near water, Montego Bay, Jamaica | Toni Frissell Collection (Library of Congress)
Living according to God's commandments is a great achievement. The stronger the faith, the easier the achievement. Try it.
Fashion model Dovima in Montego Bay on edge of a boat, man Montego Bay, Jamaica | Harper's Bazaar, November 1946 |
Do not try to outdo your neighbour in all that he does, for he may be trying the same thing at the same time as you. Why not move in the same direction? You would each proceed faster and with more friendly feelings toward one another.
Erik Holmén (1893–1963) | Nordic Museum | Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
The help, which you receive above is free and beautiful. Therefore, pray sincerely that you may receive it in your time of need.
Gösta Glase | Nordic Museum | Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
A joyous nature is a thing, for which to thank God most sincerely.
Fashion model with llamas, Cusco, Peru | Harper's Bazaar, January 1952 |
Would that all might see and realise the good, which they may accomplish by a few kindly spoken words.
Publicity photo of Martha Hyer for Sabrina
Fortitude, Endurance and Courage are three of the primary colours of life. Fortitude brings Strength; Endurance brings Patience and Courage develops Truth. The great Trinity is ever-present; you see.
Karl Heinz Hernried (1912–1988) | Nordic Museum | Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
Karl Heinz Hernried (1912–1988) | Nordic Museum | Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
In all walks of life, one may find both beautiful and unbeautiful things to attract the gaze. Try hard to keep your gaze on the beautiful side of life. It will repay you for the effort you may make.
Azora Rais Scrittrice | Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International
If all who walk through Life's journey were as possessed to do the right thing as many are to do wrong, this world would be a heavenly place.
Swimsuit fashion in the 1920s | National Library of Norway
Continued thoughts of kindness will rob the face of all sorts of disagreeable and telltale lines, which imperfect thoughts cause. Think of the good you might do if you would make that thought an accomplishment.
November 1915 Lanvin fashion from Paris | Philippe Ortiz for Bain | Library of Congress
Feverish thought is always a handicap to clear thinking.
Jacqueline Kennedy throwing the bouquet at her first wedding | Toni Frissell Collection (Library of Congress) |
Always think of some way to better yourself in God's eyes and do not be so anxious to look beautiful to those who have no power of observation for the beautiful.
Nurses' demonstration for improved wages and conditions, Sydney, 1974 | State Library of New South Wales
Everything in nature strives to grow upward to the Light; why do so many human beings strive to bend and turn from it? Should not all make the attempt to be as intelligent as the trees and the flowers?
Road safety series, Sydney, 25 October 1938 | Ray Olson | State Library of New South Wales
All who welcome God into their hearts are fitting themselves for a glorious Future Life.
Jan Fahey, 1947 | Max Dupain | State Library of New South Wales
One and all are welcome to God's home if they come unto Him with Truth in their hearts, for He asks nothing more than that.
| Woman wearing a tennis outfit | Toni Frissell | Harpers Bazaar, February 1947 |
Each day think that you will try your best to improve in some way. However small it may appear, the effort will bring results of a gratifying nature to your mind.
Women on a three-seater tandem bicycle, Malvern Star cycle series, 28 September 1938, | Ivan Ives, PIX magazine | State Library of New South Wales
Prayer is any sincere and truthful combination of words offered with kind intent either for oneself or another. A request, which God dearly loves to favour.
In 1889, Rose Scott and Mary Windeyer helped to found the Women's Literary Society in Sydney, which grew into the Womanhood Suffrage League of New South Wales in 1891 | State Library New South Wales
As seeds must be sown in the ground to bring forth a harvest of grain, so must seeds of Truth be sown within the mind that the harvest may be one of worthiness unto the Creator, for He alone is the judge of the quality of your Spirit.
An angle on photographer, ANZAC Memorial, Hyde Park, Sydney, 29 November 1937 | Ray Olson, Pix Magazine | State Library of New South Wales
To bear your burdens cheerfully, whether mental or physical, is a great accomplishment. Would that more might profit by the thought, for it is a good one.
Two fashion models in front of an open-top car, Sydney c. 1948 | State Library of New South Wales
To hear the voice of conscience, you must make good use of your grey matter. Do not let it mould through disuse.
Two fashion models in front of a hand-drawn backdrop, ca 1948 | ACP Magazines Ltd | State Library of New South Wales
If we were kind to all living creatures as we should be, how beautiful all things would appear, for we would then know the true meaning of justice.
Croquet players at Henley Beach, 1940 | State Library of South Australia
There are many who doubt the Truth even when it is perfectly apparent, yet who are ever ready to swallow with pleasure many a sensational falsehood.
