State Library of New South Wales

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The State Library of New South Wales' major subject strengths are Australian history, culture and literature, including Aboriginal studies, Antarctic exploration, family history and genealogy, business and management, social sciences, applied science, biography, health and law. The State Library is home to one of Australia’s most significant historical and heritage collections. As well as nearly 11 kilometres of manuscripts – from nine 1788 First Fleet journals through to the archives of contemporary organisations and writers – the Library holds more than one million photographs. From the earliest surviving photograph taken in Australia – in January 1845 – through to digital photographs taken last month, the Library’s unrivalled photographic collections document with powerful clarity the way Australians have lived their lives over two centuries. You can find out more about the State Library's photographic collections on our website: www.sl.nsw.gov.au/research-and-collections

When were these photos taken?

341
1825
2025

 

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32% of these photos are geotagged.

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Australian artists Tom Roberts and GVF Mann painting on boat, 1896

from State Library of New South Wales

  • 2 older comments, and then…
  • beachcomber australia said:
    Trove amazes yet again ...

    PORT MACQUARIE.
    (from our correspondent.)
    We have had a visit from a yachting party from Sydney. The party consisted of Mr. Oliver, President of the Land Appeal Court, and seven other gentlemen, including three artists. Mr. Tom Roberts, President of the new Art Society, was amongst the visitors. They proceeded up the Hastings River for some distance and also visited the Wilson. They were loud in their praises of the many natural beauties of the district. ...

    See - trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/234323023?searchTerm=t...
    (22/01/1896)
  • State Library of New South Wales said:
    beachcomber australia 👍
  • beachcomber australia said:

    "Sunset on the Yacht, Hastings River"
    Oil on cigar box lid, signed with initials 'TR 1896', lower right,
    35.6 x 23.6 cm

    via www.aasd.com.au/artist/35-thomas-tom-william-roberts/work...
  • State Library of New South Wales said:
    [https://www.flickr.com/photos/beachcomberaustralia that's great to know - I had no idea this existed.
  • beachcomber australia said:
    There must be others; I will scour the Port Macquarie Op Shops for cigar box lid paintings !

    A Trove search for "yacht antidote" found this account of the whole trip published in the SMH and regional papers; no specific mention of Tom Roberts ...

    trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/14034527?searchTerm=ya...

Artist and dog arrive by Melbourne Express (taken for J.C. Williamson), 10/12/1937 / byTed hood

from State Library of New South Wales

  • 85 older comments, and then…
  • Olivier Nyssens said:
    magnifique, rigolo et original
  • Brizia said:
    Hi, I'm an admin for a group called *****Conceptual Photography*****, and we'd love to have this added to the group!
  • BigBean said:
    This photo is being discussed in one of the projects in the Flickr Commons group, and we would love to have this added to the group pool!
  • C Secret said:
    the dog does not respect the man and the man's ego thinks otherwise. The man is the one on display and the dog is enjoying the man being the best joke in show. great picture.
  • carlosbezz said:
    Hi, I'm an admin for a group called streetdog, and we'd love to have this added to the group!

Colin Wyatt SLNSW_FL9723806

from State Library of New South Wales

  • 3 older comments, and then…
  • Blue Mountains Library, Local Studies said:
    "With his marriage on the rocks and fearing his wife was having an affair, ex-champion skier Colin Wyatt decided to cope the only way he could think of.

    He began stealing rare butterflies.

    What unfolded over the following months in the late 1940s would become a bizarre search spanning multiple museums and crossing international waters.

    It would also involve thousands upon thousands of tiny flying insects.

    Hundreds of 'the best specimens' taken from museums across Australia
    The first sign of trouble came in early 1947 — some 825 specimens of rare Australian butterflies had disappeared from the Melbourne Museum's George Lyell collection.

    When Melbourne raised the alarm, other museums checked their own collections ... "
    More - www.abc.net.au/news/2024-06-02/history-butterfly-theft-au...
    And - science.anu.edu.au/news-events/news/museum-heist-70-years...
  • Jazz Guy said:
    Lower left hand corner... I think that is a blotter to dry off signatures on documents. What year did ball point pens replace quill pens? There's a plot twist in a movie titled "Angel Heart" that involves this.
  • Jazz Guy said:
    And now the big question... Is the bottle of gin in the drawer on his left or on his right? :-)
  • State Library of New South Wales said:
    I read 'The Butterfly Thief' by Walter Marsh over the weekend and saw the image was in the Library collections. Really amazing that he was able to get them all over to the UK as well..
  • Narelle Jarvis said:
    What a story! So where was this picture taken and what is he doing with the photographs?

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