cut

Wow, great perspectives! What an eye!

Wonderful picture and perspectives - it reminds me of an Escher print with the almost impossible bridge. When you know there is a steep hill on the right with a road cut through the rock (Argyle Cut) along the bottom of the picture, it begins to make sense. The area has changed considerably since then. Slum clearance after the bubonic plague in 1900, and the approach roads for the Sydney Harbour Bridge flattened the right side of the street. The corner house (with penthouse) at centre is no longer there, but the next house is - a top floor window is now the front door, due to s street level rise of about two metres (to raise the bridge?). See Google street view: maps.google.com.au/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&...

The previous photo of Cambridge Street is dated "Aug 1901". The shadows and lighting are similar to this, though a reverse view. And there is that advert (see note) for disinfectant - I would say that this is also August 1901. About 9am !

A print of this photograph appears in State Records NSW here: www.flickr.com/photos/state-records-nsw/3683566916/

See www.flickr.com/photos/powerhouse_museum/2632248823/

Major Butt has an interesting history. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archibald_Butt

I wonder who they cut out of the image, top left?...

Taft Family en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taft_family Here is article about their mother: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louise_Taft it identifies his only sister as being: Frances Louise "Fanny" Taft (Edwards), (1866-1950). She married San Diego surgeon William A. Edwards . She lived to be 84 and here is her obit: select.nytimes.com/mem/archive/pdf?res=FB0B1EFC3D59157B93... Dr. Edwards' obit is below, unfortunately it says that he left behind just his widow, so these two lovely children pre-deceased their parents. select.nytimes.com/mem/archive/pdf?res=FA0A13F63C5516738D...

"Fanny"? Butt? I sense a trend here.

If I had to guess, I'd say it was actually Butt's sister, by the wording.

See original - www.flickr.com/photos/powerhouse_museum/2632248823/

I am not sure there was ever a "Playfair Place", and wonder if "Playfair Stairs" is a better title?

Thanks beachcomeraustralia, we have amended the caption

The glass negative is in the Tyrrell Collection. and it is one of a pair with this photo in State Records NSW - investigator.records.nsw.gov.au/asp/photosearch/photo.asp... . Or

This photo was recently determined to be part of the Rocks Resumption photographic survey, the title and date of the image has been changed accordingly Here is a map of the Rocks Resumption area (last one in the sequence)