Les Cartes des visite A carte de visit was a calling card with one’s photograph on it. This novel alternative to embossed cards became hugely popular with the middle classes. After one went to the big ‘at home’ in the sky, it seemed a pity to throw them out, so they were kept by loving families, who lovingly stuckContinue reading “The utter misery of the studio portrait.”
Then and now.
1885: A young boy stands in an unpaved street, in front of a sail-less stone windmill and the Spring Hill Reservoir buildings. The Windmill was built in 1828-9 with convict labour to grind maize (via a treadmill also employing convict labour, the sails having proved unreliable). Damage caused by lightning in 1836, and the closureContinue reading “Then and now.”
People in the 1860s and 1870s
The colouring of this photo gives a wonderful immediacy to this photograph of a group of settlers near Gympie. Frustratingly, we don’t know why they are, and can’t trace any of their journey through archival records. This post will introduce you to some of the people of Queensland in the 1860s and 1870s, captured inContinue reading “People in the 1860s and 1870s”
A Vanished World, in colour.
With, of course, a degree artistic licence… I find the date ascribed to this scene to be about ten years too early. Soldiers’ wives aside, I don’t think there were any ladies visiting the post office three years before free settlement. In fact, everything was taken care of by the military, who used steamers and brigsContinue reading “A Vanished World, in colour.”
An old offender at 14
The life of James Duffy is baffling to the modern reader. He is recorded in the Entry Book of the Industrial and Reformatory School Brisbane on April 27, 1871. His height and weight were not recorded, but he was described as being of fair complexion, with grey eyes and black hair. His father was Mr TContinue reading “An old offender at 14”
Work and Business in the 1860s and 1870s
Separation from New South Wales, exploration and the gold rushes of the 1860s had opened up Queensland. Towns were proclaimed, from the tropical north to the far west, and businesses and infrastructure followed. Railways would gradually cross the colony, replacing the bullock teams and carts that slowly dragged goods across rough bush tracks and over creeks.Continue reading “Work and Business in the 1860s and 1870s”
Leisure in the 1860s and 1870s
As the decade began, more people had access to cameras, and set about recording their daily lives with a passion. Of course, the middle and upper classes had more access to both leisure and photography, so much of the activity recorded here is of a class of people who could afford to record their activities.Continue reading “Leisure in the 1860s and 1870s”
Haunting images and odd details in 19th century photographs
The first photo is haunting. It is called “The Gold Escort” and features the first two Police officers killed on active duty in Queensland, and their murderer, Gold Commissioner Thomas Griffin. The people in the photograph are (seated, left to to right: Sergeant James Julian, Constable Patrick William Cahill, Constable John Francis Power, Gold CommissionerContinue reading “Haunting images and odd details in 19th century photographs”
How we lived and worked – 1859-1865
Separation from New South Wales occurred in 1859, and the new Colony of Queensland was proclaimed. It was a time of rapid social and economic change, and intrepid photography enthusiasts set about capturing and preserving daily life with an authenticity never seen before. Go west! Goondiwindi, on the border with New South Wales, was whereContinue reading “How we lived and worked – 1859-1865”
The Great Fire of Brisbane, 1864
1864 was a turbulent year for Brisbane Town. Residents had barely recovered from catastrophic flooding, when, on 11 April, fire roared up Queen Street, destroying homes and businesses in its path. There were photographers and journalists on hand, many of whom lived “over the shop,” and the accounts and pictures are striking. Before the fireContinue reading “The Great Fire of Brisbane, 1864”
Moreton Bay and More 