Item #CL172-7 [Campells Wharf, Sydney]; Sydney, St Mark’s Steeple; and North Shore, Sydney Harbour. William Blackwood, Aust.
[Campells Wharf, Sydney]; Sydney, St Mark’s Steeple; and North Shore, Sydney Harbour
[Campells Wharf, Sydney]; Sydney, St Mark’s Steeple; and North Shore, Sydney Harbour
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[Campells Wharf, Sydney]; Sydney, St Mark’s Steeple; and North Shore, Sydney Harbour

1858. Three albumen paper photographs, megalethoscope format, titles and annotations in various hands in ink on two stretcher bars verso, 18.8 x 26.6cm (approx. each image), 23.2. x 31.3cm (overall size each). Foxing and slight soiling overall, each laid down on original backing and cedar stretchers with remnants of further layer of paper backing, two with tape to edges of image and one with painted border.

Three panels from the eleven-panel panorama of Sydney photographed by Blackwood from the top of Government House in 1858. A complete set of the panorama panels is held in the State Library of NSW collection.

It is exceedingly rare to find these images on their original stretchers, intended for viewing in a megalethoscope. Invented by Carlo Ponti (Italian, 1823-1893), who was appointed optician and photographer to the king of Italy, a megalethoscope was an optical apparatus where albumen paper photographs were viewed through a large lens, creating an optical illusion of depth and perspective. The photographs were either backlit by an internal light source such as an oil or kerosene lantern or by daylight. Ref: The Getty; Wiki.

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Item #CL172-7

Price (AUD): $6,600.00  other currencies

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