Picturing New South Wales: Photographs by Kerry & Co, opens this Sunday, May 30, and features more than 100 black and white photographs of scenic town views and historic buildings, taken around the turn of the 20th century by leading commercial photography company, Kerry & Co.
 May 25, 2010: Picturing New South Wales: Photographs by Kerry & Co, opens this Sunday, May 30, and features more than 100 black and white photographs of scenic town views and historic buildings, taken around the turn of the 20th century by leading commercial photography company, Kerry & Co. The Kerry & Co images form part of the Macleay Museum’s historical photograph collection and, for the exhibition, have been reproduced from the original glass negatives, many in large format. According to Macleay Museum curator Jan Brazier, the selection of images presents a unique portrait of regional NSW at a time when country towns were prospering. ‘The photographs create a view of place which met the perception of how people wanted their part of the world to be seen,’ says Brazier. ‘These Kerry images in the Macleay’s collection are not about people but about public buildings, industries, churches, main streets ““ and reveal a vision of progress and European settlement at a time of change moving into the modern new century.’ Kerry & Co, established by Charles Kerry in 1890, was one of the largest commercial studios in Sydney, operating until about 1917. In 1898, Kerry opened a four-floored studio at 310 George Street, and would send photographers throughout NSW to create a stockpile of images. This was before the introduction of Kodak’s Box Brownie, when photography became accessible to everyone. Kerry’s photographs were sold for personal albums, to be framed or to be published in illustrated newspapers, and as picture postcards. The postcard craze of the end of the 19th century became another boon for Kerry & Co. His images of town halls, views, industry and civic buildings in country towns from Wagga Wagga to Eden to Forster became big business as people adapted to this new form of quick communication. These now collectible postcards, remarks Brazier, were the ‘SMS of their day.’ While all images in the exhibition are labelled with towns of origin, there are still mysteries surrounding many of them. ‘This collection gives a wonderful snapshot of regional NSW as a whole, but we are still keen to learn more about the images and hope visitors to the exhibition will be able to help,’ said Brazier.  Accompanying lecture On Wednesday, July 21, Professor Richard Waterhouse, Bicentennial Professor of Australian History at the University of Sydney, will give a public lecture at the Macleay in association with the exhibition, titled A Forgotten Australian? Bush towns, rural Australia and Australian history. Entry is free, but bookings are essential. Phone (02) 9036 5253. The exhibition closes in February, 2011. The Macleay Museum is situated in the Macleay Building, Gosper Lane, off Science Road, at the University of Sydney. It is open Monday to Friday from 10am to 4.30pm and Sundays, from noon to 4pm. Admission is free. Website: http://www.sydney.edu.au/museums Phone: (02) 9036 5253
|
