Photograph album of Sydney, NSW, New Zealand, Fiji, Victoria.
Ca. 1880. A photographic record of a trip to Fiji, New Zealand, Sydney, the Blue Mountains & Victoria, ca. 1880, by an American, we believe. The nicely designed album of albumen photographs has the photographs mounted in an accordion-style, the album opening in two directions, with the photographs mounted on both sides of the linen coated boards. None of the photographs have photographers' names on the images, and most are hand-captioned, but some have printed captions most likely garnered from a photographer's letterpress.
The album begins with photographs by the Dufty brothers in Fiji, with 15 views (8 x 5 1/4") including a composite photograph British Colonists & Natives in Fiji; Hall in Government House, Lavuka (sic) (wonderful tribal art); Levuka, looking towards the North; a Fiji settlement (native community); cotton plantation; Halfrontes Residence Loma Loma Vanua Balavuk Fiji; "Dakin" Savu Savu Bay, Vauna Levu (2 small Caucasian boys sitting in front of their grass home); The King's Canoe (many Fijians on board); Native Trading Canoes on the Beach Levuka; Looking towards the South Dr. Brower's House; the Common outrigger dug out with sail (2 Caucasian men); taro patch & 4 cartes de visite of a bathing scene, natives, a lawyer Fiji & Wallace Island New Caledonia.
There are 8 large New Zealand views (7 1/4 x 5 1/4") and they include New Zealand Scenery No. 1 Harrison's Cove, Milford Sound, With the Government the Steamer Luna, and the yacht Jessie Nichol at anchor; Dart River on Martin's Bay Track; Tooth Peak Mts.;
Jollie River Pass; Mt. Blowhard (with 3 children seated in foreground); Kawarau River;
Mt. Cook; Naseby, N.Z. (this image is located in the Museum of NZ photographic collection as C.014137, although the title "Naseby in '79" and Burton Bros Dunedin is trimmed off). We were only able to identify one photograph amongst the many displayed on the most excellent digital collection of the Museum of New Zealand photographic collection.
The New South Wales & Victoria portion of the trip has 6 large views (8 x 6") including
The Craggs at the Entrance Harbor (sic) of Sydney, Australia. "33" in lower left corner;
Mountain scenery in the Interior above Sydney, "43" in lower left corner (2" closed tear)
Victorian Views, The Yarra, from the Botanical Gardens Bridge Looking toward Richmond;
The Old Cement Works, Schnapper Point; Scene from the North Shore, Sydney Harbour;
St. Leonard's Township from the Hill, an oval photograph, possibly by Nicholas Caire?
Then follows a collection of 21 photographs of Sydney, most likely by Alexander Brodie. They are stereoscopic view size images measuring 3" square, mounted panoramically. There are 7 of Sydney Harbour, Governor's residence; 4 botanical garden scenes, 2 of the Heads, 4 unidentified harbor views; 3 of the Blue Mountains including the Zig Zag. The view of Pyrmont Bridge appears to be the same as one held in the Mitchell Library (Digital Order No. a602005).
Nicely bound in a brown cloth album decoratively stamped in black with the gilt title "Card Album" on both the front and back covers, 11 x 8 1/4". Both the photographs and the album are in very good condition. Item #15784
Price: $3,500.00