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Video The Sydney of another time

Sharon O'Neill

The Museum of Sydney is showing an exhibition of photographs taken of Sydney from the Edwardian era.


QUENTIN DEMPSTER, PRESENTER: It was a time of great optimism and extraordinary change.

It was Sydney in the Edwardian years, a twilight zone between the restrictive Victorian era and the devastation of World War One.

It was an era which was meticulously photographed and recorded by a Sydney lawyer named Arthur Wigram Allen.

His 51 albums covering the time were donated to the Mitchell Library and next month those photos will be on display to the public at the Museum Of Sydney for the first time.

Sharon O'Neill caught up with the curators of the exhibition for a sneak preview.

JUDITH AINGE, CURATOR: Arthur Allen was born in the Victorian era but he was actually very much an Edwardian man and a new type of man for Australia.

He actually enjoyed being Australian and I think he shows that in his photographs. He takes views of everything and everyone, of Sydney and its surrounds and of the people and how they've changed.

HOWARD TANNER, CURATOR: What makes these albums these photographs so unusual?

ALAN DAVIES, CURATOR: Well there's so many of them for starters. Very few people had the equipment and the time and the obsession to make such a series of photographs.

I mean 1890 to 1934, that's extraordinary.

HOWARD TANNER: And I think it's really a very evocative family story of, you know, family getting around Sydney and meeting friends and people.

ALAN DAVIES: Certainly, I mean the other really interesting thing is they're all captioned, not just to the day but sometimes to the hour so we know precisely what people were doing.

I think his children probably went beserk, 'oh Dad not another photograph'. But you see these children growing up. It's like a soap opera but it's real.

JUDITH AINGE: Arthur is a curious man. I think he loved capturing people on image.

He gives you the very good picture of not only the wealth of the time but the availability of what they could go and do

HOWARD TANNER: It's just a time when we're really feeling strong and good and it's reflected in these photos that the town's coming alive and things are happening

People are getting dressed up for the special occassion and you see, you see I think costuming in a way that we don't know today. They're very elaborately dressed.

ALAN DAVIES: I'm an absolute sucker for the weddings. All the way through here you see these incredible costumes they have at weddings. The 1909 ones, those huge hats, fabulous!

HOWARD TANNER: And the other extraordinary change is that in 1906 they go to the beach ...

ALAN DAVIES: Ah yes ...

HOWARD TANNER: ... and they take off all the elaboration and suddenly ...

ALAN DAVIES: That's right because in 1904 was the change in regulations here in Sydney, goes right to Manly.

That's right you start to see people swimming and it's extraordinary to see those costumes, rather voluminous, but it is in the surf which is great.

HOWARD TANNER: So I think there is a sort of relaxation coming in about the dress code and behaviour and it's quite evident in the pictures.

JUDITH AINGE: He was a curious photographer for his time because he actually captured all classes of people in his photography. He included people of interest but also the workers, and you know whether they be from the coal mines or itinerants living behind the beaches in Cronulla.

It comes from the Victoria era, right through the Edwardian and into First World War and post war and you see that amazing change happen. Recorded almost on people's faces. It's the jubilation of the era of leaving the Victorian restriction behind and emerging into this quite prosperous, happy city and happy environment

HOWARD TANNER: It's an very evolving, changing time and this is one of the best records as far as I know of.

ALAN DAVIES: It's easily the best intimate record we have of a family, it's extraordinary. I say you sort of just get hypnotised by it.

7.30 New South Wales