antiquated

WOW! PowerhouseMuseum, I think you have a gem in your hands! This is one of the early footbridges (looking east) across Mosman Bay on the north shore of Sydney Harbour. The run-down buildings are part of the original whaling station; no longer there, except for 'The Barn', out of shot. See www.afloat.com.au/afloat-magazine/2008/august-2008/Mosman... for more footbridge information. More importantly, the buildings are in the famous Tom Roberts painting of "Mosman's Bay" 1894. See save-mosmans-bay.com/painting.html and an enlargement save-mosmans-bay.com/images/Mosmans Bay-1.jpg . The photograph and the painting seem to be at a similar time (1894) judging from the similar costumes and lack of other buildings. There are a lot of pictures in this collection of Mosman and Cremorne. Could it be that the photographer knew Tom Roberts, Arthur Streeton, and others at the artists' camp at Little Sirius Cove just over the hill behind? A huge leap of the imagination, I know, but what if those people, who are appearing in several group shots, are Streeton, Roberts, etc.?!

There are several discrepancies, which I suppose you put down to artistic licence. For instance a missing chimney and wharf wooden railings on the painting. The painting also has a large black (incongruous imho) sign in front of the buildings - the back of it shows up here on the persistent URL magnification. The more I research, the more I have a hunch that a lot of these pictures were taken by Tom Roberts, who is described as an artist AND photographer. The same-ish group of people and boats pop up in many photographs - they are obviously friends of the photographer, and 'pose' for the pictures looking directly at the camera (except the women!). Many of the picures are beautifully composed, like a painting. I am having no luck (yet) getting a match with faces from biographical websites. Presuming Tom Roberts is behind the camera, but the other men could include Arthur Streeton, Charles Conder, Fred McCubbin, Girolamo Nerdi, AH Fulwood, Julian Ashton, etc. HELP NEEDED please from an expert! More about the Heidelberg School, links to paintings and biographies: www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au/articles/heidelbergschool...

A painting by Albert Henry Fullwood (1863-1930) "Mosman's Bay" [ca.1904] clearly showing the bridge, looking north up the bay: nla.gov.au/nla.pic-an2288936

Here's another photograph of the bridge, bay, and buildings viewed from up the hill to the left: www.powerhousemuseum.com/collection/database/?irn=385883

beachcomberaustralia - you are corerct about the location. It is Mosman Bay. The are some very good comparison photographs in the collection of Mosman Library. Go the this search page: www.photosau.com/Mosman/scripts/home.asp and search for these image numbers as keywords: 4016964 4017069 4022561 4022578

Curlew camp at Little Sirius Cove, Mosman? Heidelberg School artists? Arthur Streeton, Tom Roberts etc ? Can anyone identify them?

Beautiful capture absolutely lovely ! Well done!!



Thank you for your Encouragements............

The detail in the original is spectacular under the magnifier, the gent sitting right is the only one wearing a wedding ring, the bare foot chap next to him has washed his socks as hung them up to dry at the back, the support pole appears to be a ship's spar and the tent is a small sewn sail and the head gear has a nautical look, the camp stove is amazing for its substantial construction and probable weight and suggests a lengthy stay. The Shoalhaven river seems a good bet, could they have sailed up here in a small boat to the camp?

superb...no comment on this great photo....really-really great documentation of old time :).....greeting from Indonesia ;)

Hi, I'm an admin for a group called Black and White "SuperstarS" Post 1, Comment or Award 2., and we'd love to have this added to the group!

An educated guess: The top end of Mosman Bay looking west from roughly where now is the corner of Avenue Road and Millett Road, Mosman. The tidal flats were filled in and landscaped about 1900 (see all the references to Mosman waterfalls). The Park Avenue waterfall is out of sight behind the pale rock. According to the Rangers Estate map www.nla.gov.au/apps/cdview?pi=nla.map-lfsp1643-sd . there should be another waterfall at the head of the bay right of this photo, near the end of Millett Road. There are (channel?) marker posts in the water and white-painted marker posts. The fence around the trees (why?) is also in this photo www.flickr.com/photos/powerhouse_museum/3195835022/ . Taken at a similar location, but with a large group of people.

lindo lugar !

great shot

An interesting image:) A million images are beautiful but this is the splendor and rarely--great composition/treatment.

lovely. :)

best stash ever

movember winner 1902!

gorgeous. thank you mr raymond w. phillips.

Wonder if it was taken at the same time as the nurse holding twins photo. Has similar ferns etc. in the background.

It'd be nice to clean these up in photoshop really.