George Street, looking south, Sydney
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Where: 255 George St, Sydney NSW 2000, Australia
Try to find the spot where the photographer was standing.
When: 01 January 1900
Try to find the date or year when this image was made.
Format: Glass plate negative.
Rights Info: No known restrictions on publication.
Repository: Tyrrell Photographic Collection, Powerhouse Museum www.powerhousemuseum.com/collection/database/collection=The_Tyrrell_Photographic
Part Of: Powerhouse Museum Collection
General information about the Powerhouse Museum Collection is available at www.powerhousemuseum.com/collection/database
Persistent URL: www.powerhousemuseum.com/collection/database/?irn=28415
Acquisition credit line: Gift of Australian Consolidated Press under the Taxation Incentives for the Arts Scheme, 1985
Source: Flickr Commons
Views: 9087
Rights Info: No known restrictions on publication.
Repository: Tyrrell Photographic Collection, Powerhouse Museum www.powerhousemuseum.com/collection/database/collection=The_Tyrrell_Photographic
Part Of: Powerhouse Museum Collection
General information about the Powerhouse Museum Collection is available at www.powerhousemuseum.com/collection/database
Persistent URL: www.powerhousemuseum.com/collection/database/?irn=28415
Acquisition credit line: Gift of Australian Consolidated Press under the Taxation Incentives for the Arts Scheme, 1985
Info:
Owner: Powerhouse Museum CollectionSource: Flickr Commons
Views: 9087
powerhousemuseum
dc:identifier=httpwwwpowerhousemuseumcomcollectiondatabaseirn28415
xmlns:dc=httppurlorgdcelements11
kodak
awning
cantilever
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3 years ago a contributor from Vaucluse, Australia suggested this image location is -33.8639, 151.207
Comment:
Rough location on George st
Rough location on George st
ɹǝqɯoɔɥɔɐǝq
No original “T” tram wire pylons in the middle of George St, removed c.1908 to allow for wider-bodied trams. The “Kodak Ltd and Baker & Rouse” signage has to be 20th Century – museumvictoria.com.au/collections/themes/2882/kodak-herit... . And the fashions, particularly the lady in white shoes and dress centre left, who is a picture of Edwardian slim elegance. I would put the photo at c.1910.
john cowper
The photograph was taken sometime after 1911 - see following paragraph. Note re tramcar - the entire F-class (save one) was converted to the L-class between 1910 and 1912. However from 1911 the cars were progressively reintroduced with drivers' windshields. It's difficult to read the number of the tram in the picture -- If the car in pic is L-240 car re-entered service on 17/6/1910 -- if L-340 car re-entered service on 28/7/1910 both therefore would have been later refitted with drivers windshields sometime after 1911. The entire L-class was even later converted to the L/P-class after 1918.
ɹǝqɯoɔɥɔɐǝq
[http://www.flickr.com/photos/johncowper] Good stuff ! My (slightly annoyed) comment above was in reply to a post about this photo on the PhM's 'Photo of the Day' blog. See - www.powerhousemuseum.com/imageservices/index.php/2010/03/...
john cowper
http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected] Exactly! Have now read your comments in the PhM site, agree wholeheartedly! A little research in the right place usually gets the right result!
ɹǝqɯoɔɥɔɐǝq
http://www.flickr.com/photos/johncowper Re Tramcar No. - the persistent URL link above at full zoom (amazing!) shows "398" on the front. Or is that the route number?
john cowper
http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected] Ah-ha! Many thanks ... the wonders of computing! So that's the tramcar number ... it's 398 it's an N-class tram. N-398 entered service on 16 August 1902. I'll do some more research and see where she was in 1910-11. As you say the span-poles were taken out of George street to accommodate the Ns, as they were wider than previous classes. More dates and times to follow!
john cowper
http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected] The ornamental span poles were taken out of George Street in 1907-08 which fits in with your original c 1910. diagnosis. In 1910 N-398 was attached to Ultimo Depot working the Balmain line. Interestingly the batch of Ns to which 398 belonged were built on the F-class chassis, as were the class I was discussing earlier - the Ls.The Ns were the first fully cross-bench cars (toastracks) whereas the Ls, were a combination car ie a cross between cross-bench and saloon car.
ɹǝqɯoɔɥɔɐǝq
[http://www.flickr.com/photos/johncowper] I think you must have been a Tramway Inspector in a previous life! I am impressed by your very specialized knowledge. There is a print of this image in the City of Sydney Image Library - they say "Exact date unknown, 1910-1920" - www3.photosau.com/cos/scripts/ExtSearch.asp?SearchTerm=03... . I would say nearer 1910 due to the lack of motor vehicles. Also "In 1913 Kerry retired leaving the running of the studio to his nephew, unfortunately the business did not do well and Kerry and Co. closed its doors in 1917. Kerry himself died in 1928" (from the Persistent URL blurb).
ɹǝqɯoɔɥɔɐǝq
And here's a bit of interesting information. The very ornate awning of the Kodak Baker & Rouse building (see note) at 379 George St., was evidently the "first cantilever awning to be erected in NSW"..... "in 1908, after strong opposition from the City Council" . . .. "some people at the time claimed the awning would not last three years, but it was still safe and sound after 46 years." The awning was sold for scrap in 1954. SMH 31/8/1954 - trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/29607561
john cowper
http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected] Thank you for the compliment! I have been collecting tramway booklets and material on the Sydney system since my schooldays - and only recently, maybe because of the reawakened interest in light rail, become interested again. So, Flickr with its contributions from the NSW Archives Office seems to be good place to to use the material and I suppose the latent knowledge again. Come to think of it, I would have enjoyed working on the trams! I'm annoyed that I got the Ls and the Ns confused, but my computer seemed to point towards either 240 or 340 and since the Ls and that batch of Ns were built on the same chassis, and I dare say the drivers' windshields would have been the same it was an easy mistake to make.
ɹǝqɯoɔɥɔɐǝq
[http://www.flickr.com/photos/johncowper] Don't worry - it is not that serious! But there are a heap of historical tram photos in this Tyrrell Collection which would benefit from expert comment and particularly adding tags so that information can be found again. The PhM Zoom function on their photos is a real bonus - at full zoom and full screen it is like time travel - unfortunately the more you look, the more you find . . . For example I just checked out the street lamps in George St, (see notes). The style of the ones in this photo was not introduced until 1912 ! Ref - cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/history/SydneyStreets/Minding_the... And - cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/history/SydneyStreets/Minding_the...
john cowper
http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected] I agree it's a great time 'waster' - although I use the term 'waster' carefully. As a lover of history, like you, I find the old shots fascinating. Someone, I'm not sure who, said 'the past is another country' after viewing all wonderful old views of Sydney I can see what was meant. Strangely familiar yet so alien to us in the 21st Century. Alas a world we will never know exept through the eyes and cameras of others! Back to picture in question ... so now we are post 1912 ... Back to 2011 ... and I have some work to do ...
john cowper
http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected] Good old Google ... "The past is a foreign country..." was written by Leslie Poles Hartley (30 December 1895 – 13 December 1972). The full quote is: “The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there.”