Australian Photo Album, with 47 Views of Victoria, New South Wales, Tasmania, ca 1880 to 1894

Wonderful photograph album of Victoria, New South Wales, and Tasmania, with large photographs and manuscript titles. A total of 47 photos, with 33 of Victoria, 6 of New South Wales, 5 of Tasmania, 1 of New Zealand, and 2 others. Each photograph is lightly tipped on to the album paper, with blank verso. Most of the photographs are by an unknown photographer; there are also some signed by J.W. Beattie, Thomas Foster Chuck, Frank Arnold Coxhead, C. Rudd, and J.P., possibly John Paine.

One of the most striking & largest photograph is of "Aboriginals of Lake Tyers". It is an outdoor view of a family group of aborigines, from children to grand parents, dressed in western clothing, with spear, boomerangs and lean-to behind them. Others include some rather poetic views of woodcutters at Black Spur & Fernshaw; a couple of gold mining at Bendigo including Garden Gully United Gold Mining Company, with houses in fore and background. There is a series of some very striking studies of Melbourne buildings including the Empire Building, Collins St. West; Prell's Building, corner of Queen St. and Flinders Lane; Austral Chambers, Queen St., with Austral Chambers sign and "Offices to Let", by Selby & Co., 97 Queen St.; Grand Hotel, Spring St., with carriages at the front; Federal Coffee Palace, Collins St., #102, showing electrical workers, 3 of whom have climbed electrical poles; "Tuck's Buildings" (or Luck's?), Elizabeth & Flinders St, with the caption "Rent of Shop L 22.10 per week"; Government Public Offices (Melbourne), #48, with a dirt road in the foreground; Melbourne Hospital with a train moving past in the foreground; Centennial Exhibition Procession, August 1st, 1888, with Victorian Confectioner's Society banner in front; St. Kilda Jetty, busy with people fishing; another showing neighboring jetty, Hegerty's Railway Baths for Gentlemen, and fishermen with the town behind them; The New Prince's Bridge, with scattered construction debris; The Melbourne Hotel, #10, with the #220 Carlton and Abbotsford tram in the foreground; Collins St. from Elizabeth St., looking east, #73, with a busy street scene and a George & George flag flying; Modern Permanent Building Society offices, with Kilpatrick & Co. Watchmakers & Jewelers, a police box, and Auchalps Sales Rooms; Bourke St., Melbourne, full length looking west with trams, a horse and cart, Mayger's Imperial Hotel at the right and Old Whitehart Hotel at the left; Town Hall, Melbourne, a view looking down, with 2 trams & Martin & Leasances Pharmacy sign visible; Elizabeth St., Melbourne, a great snap shot view of people, traffic, a wagon and cart, electric lights, and a large Cullis Hill & Co. sign; Elizabeth St., Melbourne, a snap shot view with street traffic, a tram, the Sunbeam Tea and Luncheon Rooms in the foreground, and Lincoln Stuart & Co. in the distance; Bourke St., Melbourne, a snap shot view toward E. A. Petherick Booksellers & Publishers, with trams and traffic.

There are three views of ships - H. M. S. Calliope in Port Philip (Hobson's Bay), with 3 yachts, a tender and row boat; The Liverpool, largest sailing ship afloat; Steamship Cavo Romano New Orleans Feb 26th 94, docked with several crew sitting on barrels (with a tear).

The NSW photographs are taken in and around Sydney, mostly signed "J.P.", possibly John Paine, 1834 - 1915, including Manly Cove; Harbour from Neutral Bay, with a building under construction in the foreground, and harbour and ships in the distance; Harbour from McMahon's Hill, with flags, ferries, row boats and sailing ships; Farm Cove, with ships and Government House in the distance; Coogee (?), with a hut in the foreground; trams in a turning circle, a beach and vacant land in the distance and an unidentified grand public building, with a horse and carriage visible.

The Tasmanian photographs are unsigned. "Port Arthur, Tasmania" is a small panoramic view with the Penitentiary, ruins of Church and Model Prison, noted in the margins. Hobart from the lower slopes of Mt. Wellington, overlooking the harbour (River Derwent); a beautifully artistic photograph "Glimpse of Port Arthur, shewing side entrance to Peninsula & ruined church in distance" is framed by trees and bushes, the buildings visible in the distance.

The photographs vary in size - the largest is 29 x 23 cm; the smallest 9.5 x 15 cm; most are approximately 20 x 15 cm. Most are bright and unfaded, while some have some fading. The album is bound in red cloth with title in blue, and gold gilt and black decoration at front cover. A little loose in binding, with the last few pages blank. Overall, a very interesting album in very good condition. Full details of each photo and size available on request.