Glass plate negative, entitled "Darling Harbour" depicting Prymont Bridge and railway goods yard, Sydney
Object No. 85/1284-1779
This image from a glass plate negative produced between 1901 and 1910 shows Sydney's Darling Harbour with the Pyrmont Bridge open. At that time Port Jackson was Australia's major port. To the right is Cockle Bay, the southern section of Darling Harbour, and generally known to harbour workers as 'the Duckpond'. Here were many small finger wharves used by small coastal vessels and by harbour craft. As shown in this photo the bridge had to open several times a day for them to leave and arrive. A small lighterage tug is pushing a steam crane through and into 'the Duckpond'.The crane will, no doubt, be used to help discharge cargo to or from one of the ships. Several travellers are held up on the bridge watching the spectacle while they wait to resume their trip into the city. Railway lines run under the nearer side of the bridge connecting the Darling Harbour goods yard with finger wharves along past Jones Bay, almost to Johnstons Bay. At the left is a large sailing ship probably loading export coal from the many loaded coal trucks in the area known as the 'Eastern' or 'coal' wharf. Four steamers are berthed on the opposite side of the waterway at the wharves of notable local shipping companies. The Melbourne Steamship Co. Ltd wharf is next to the bridge, then the Illawarra and South Coast Steam Navigation Co., Howard Smith Co. Ltd and A.U.S.N. Co. Ltd. discharge cargo to or from one of the ships. Graeme Andrews OAM, Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences volunteer under the supervision of Margaret Simpson, Curator, December 2015 Every city needs well-designed infrastructure that allows for the easy flow of materials, goods and people. In the late 1800s, Sydney's Darling Harbour was central to the distribution of goods and materials around the country. It was a transport hub where rail, ships and horsedrawn vehicles came together. Coal and wool were brought there by rail for export. By 1905 the harbour also had a gas works, two coal-fired power stations that produced electricity and a pumping station that provided hydraulic power for many of the city's lifts, hoists and wool presses. Sandra McEwen, Curatorial, 2008 This photographic negative was published by the Sydney firm Charles Kerry & Co. and is part of the Powerhouse Museum's Tyrrell collection which contains over 2,900 glass plate negatives by Kerry & Co. Although a few appear to be from the 1880s most were produced between 1892 and 1917. Over this period, and well into the early 1900s, prints from these negatives appeared in many Australian publications and albums of views. In 1903 the company began producing postcards from these negatives, further establishing the images as some of the most significant and best known early views of New South Wales. Some of the more significant themes covered by the collection include; views of New South Wales, Queensland, country towns, Sydney, Indigenous Australians, the South Pacific, rural life, native flora and fauna, and sentimental views. In addition there are a number of significant events from the 1900s covered by the collection including; Embarkation of troops for the Boer War, Hordens fire and the Inauguration of the Commonwealth in 1901, the arrival of the Great White Fleet and the Burns verses Johnson boxing match at Rushcutters Bay in 1908. Geoff Barker, Curatorial, November 2008 References David, Millar, Charles Kerry's Federation Australia, Sydney, David Ell Press, 1981 Valdon, 'Our Artistic Workers; Mr. George Bell', Australian Photographic Journal, Volume 17, Number 199, December 21, 1908
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Summary
Object Statement
Glass plate negative, full plate, entitled 'Darling Harbour' depicting Prymont Bridge and railway goods yard, Sydney, glass, photograph by Kerry and Co, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 1902-1917
Physical Description
Silver gelatin dry plate glass negative in landscape format. The caption, studio number and studio mark are inscribed on the reverse of the negative. The negative is not fully catalogued. 1/29 Tyrrell Inventory Number, 3547 Kerry Studio Number
DIMENSIONS
Width
215 mm
PRODUCTION
Notes
Charles Kerry was born in 1858 and by 1885 was running a studio in partnership with C. D. Jones. This partnership lasted until 1892, when Charles became sole owner and changed the studio's name to Kerry and Co. By 1890 the company was employing a number of photographers who would become famous in their own right. George Bell who covered rural New South Wales was employed in 1890 and Harold Bradley was doing outdoor work and covering events around Sydney by 1899. Kerry continued to work in the field and in 1895 he took photographs of Royal National Park for New South Wales Government, photographed Queensland artesian bores and was employed by the New South Wales Government to travel the state and photograph Indigenous Australians. In 1897 Kerry led the first party to reach the summit of Mt Kosciuszko in winter conditions and photographed the Jenolan caves. By 1900 Kerry had turned his studio into one of the largest and most respected photographic establishments in the colony. His new four story premises at 310 George St were designed by the architect H. C. Kent and the third floor studios alone could accommodate 70 people wanting their portraits taken. 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. Geoff Barker, Curatorial, January, 2009 References Newton, Gael, Shades of Light; Photography and Australia 1839 - 1988, Australian National Gallery, Canberra, 1988 David, Millar, Charles Kerry's Federation Australia, Sydney, David Ell Press, 1981 Tyrrell, James, Australian Aboriginal and South Sea Islands Implements, Weapons and Curios, James Tyrrell, Sydney, 1929
HISTORY
Notes
This photographic negative is one of 2900 Kerry & Co. photographs in the Powerhouse Museum's 'Tyrrell Collection' once owned by Sydney bookseller, James Tyrrell. Almost all of these negatives are 21.5 x 20.3 cm (10 x 8 inch) glass plates and many of those now held by the Powerhouse Museum collection would have been used to create postcards. In addition to the Kerry & Co. Studio images, the Tyrrell Collection at the Powerhouse Museum includes glass plate negatives published by Henry King and a number of other negatives by unattributed photographers James Tyrrell used the images by Kerry & Co. and Henry King to produce his own booklets and views of New South Wales but although full of iconic Australian images, the collection does not appear to have been fully utilised by Tyrrell. In 1980 the collection was purchased by Australian Consolidated Press who published a limited series of 2000 contact prints from the collection. Housed in boxes copies of these were given to the State Library of New South Wales and the Macleay Museum at the University of Sydney. In 1985 Australian Consolidated Press donated the collection to the Powerhouse keeping a set of copy prints for themselves. The collection at this time consisted of 7,903 glass plate negatives and 7,916 contact positive prints. Of these 493 glass plates were damaged but usable and 13 plates totally broken. A further 2,500 Kerry & Co. negatives are held in the Macleay Museum at the University of Sydney. Geoff Barker, Curatorial, January, 2009 References Newton, Gael, Shades of Light; Photography and Australia 1839 - 1988, Australian National Gallery, Canberra, 1988 David, Millar, Charles Kerry's Federation Australia, Sydney, David Ell Press, 1981 Tyrrell, James, Australian Aboriginal and South Sea Islands Implements, Weapons and Curios, James Tyrrell, Sydney, 1929
SOURCE
Acquisition Date
19 July 1985
Copyright for the above image is held by the Powerhouse and may be subject to third-party copyright restrictions. Please submit an Image Licensing Enquiry for information regarding reproduction, copyright and fees. Text is released under Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivative licence.
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