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October 1, 2008: The State Library of NSW is the first library in Australia to partner with Flickr in order to provide community access to its world-renowned photographic archive.
An initial 100 images of historical Australian 'firsts' - selected from the State Library's photographic archive of over a million images - has been launched on Flickr Commons. This online initiative has been launched to share the collections of cultural institutions world-wide and increase access to historical photos.
Among the first collection to be posted is a selection of 'Australian Women's Firsts', a series of images showing the fascinating and diverse accomplishments of women such as Louise Lovely, Australia's first Hollywood silver screen star.
An image of the first commercially produced amphibious car, the German Amphicar of 1960-68, can be viewed among other transport and technology firsts in Australia. Other categories of 'firsts' include: portraits by Australia's first commercial photographer, George Goodman; the first Australasian Antarctic Expedition with images by Frank Hurley; the opening of the Harbour Bridge; and landmark aviation achievements.
Images will be added to Flickr on a regular basis, providing anyone with an internet connection immediate access to historically significant material from the State Library's extensive collections. The images can be viewed at http://www.flickr.com/photos/statelibraryofnsw.
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