Hall, William James (1877-1951); Kerry, Charles (1857-1928); Rudd, Charles (1849-1901), & others. Historically Interesting Album with 48 Original Albumen Photographs of Australia and Tasmania, Showing Sydney, Mount Victoria, Govetts Leap and Wentworth Falls Lookouts, Melbourne, Bengido, Hobart, Huon Road, Mount Wellington, New Norfolk, Derwent River, Cape Raoul, &c. Ca. 1890s.

Oblong Folio album (ca. 28x37 cm or 11 x 14 ¾ in). 21 card stock leaves. With 48 mounted albumen photos, including seven larger images, from ca. 21x26 cm (8 x 10 ¼ in) to ca. 17x23,5 cm (6 ¾ x 9 ¼ in); the rest of the photos are from ca. 15x20 cm (6x8 in) to ca. 11x20 cm (4 ½ x 7 ¾ in). About thirty photos are numbered, captioned or signed in negative, one photo with the photographer’s blind stamp in the left lower corner; over thirty photos with period ink captions in French on the mounts. Period brown half sheep with brown cloth boards, neatly repaired; spine and boards with gilt-tooled decorative borders; moire endpapers. Mounts slighty waved, several mildly soiled or age-toned, a few photos very mildly faded, but overall a very good album of strong interesting photos.

Attractive collection of early, well-preserved studio photos of Australia and Tasmania, most likely collected by an officer from the French naval cruiser “Duchaffault” (1872-1908), which visited Australia, Tasmania and New Zealand in the autumn of 1892, at the end of her term in the French Pacific Naval Station. The album opens with a photo of the “Duchaffault” in Sydney’s Farm Cove in September 1892.

Thirty-two photos are views of Australia, authored by noted local studios of William James Hall, Charles Henry Kerry and Charles Rudd. The images show Sydney (a view from Neutral Bay, downtown with Castlereagh Street, Elizabeth Street, Circular Quay, Farm Cove, Sydney Heads, botanical garden, Government House), Mount Victoria, lookouts at Govetts Leap and Wentworth Falls in the Blue Mountains, Melbourne (downtown, Collins Street, Bourke Street, town hall, La Trobe’s Cottage - “first government house in Victoria,” Government House, General post office, Exhibition building, city port), and Bengido (general view, Charing Cross with the Alexandra Fountain, mining facilities).

Fifteen views of Tasmania show Hobart (general views, Macquarie Street), Huon Road, Mount Wellington (general view and the summit), New Norfolk, Derwent River, Cape Raoul, fern trees, forest paths and streams. Overall a nice collection of early, well-preserved studio photos of Australia and Tasmania.

A list of captions:
1) Le “Duchaffault” dans “Farm Cove,” Port le Sydney (1er-20 Septre. 92) [manuscript]; 2) Sydney – Vue le prise de Neutral Bay (North Shore): Garden Island, Woolloomoolloo Bay, Farm Cove, Kiribilli Point [manuscript] + (676) [in negative]; 3) Sydney (Vue le prise de la tour de l’Australia Hotel): Pitt St., Depart. of Lands, Sydney Cove, Castlereagh St., Bligh St., Amirauté – Kiribilli Point [manusciprt] + (678) [in negative]; 4) Sydney – Elizabeth Street [manuscript]; 5) Sydney – Circular Quay [manuscript] + Circular Quay (703) [in negative]; 6) L’ “Australian Squadron” dans Farm Cove [manuscript] + Farm Cove. Sydney. 5/9/91 (W. Hall photo) (692) [in negative]; 7) “The Heads” – Entrée de Port Jackson [manuscript] + “Sydney Heads” (790) [in negative]; 8) Sydney – Botanical Garden. Norfolk Island Pine (Araucaria) [manuscript]; 9) Government House (689) [in negative]; 10) National Park. Environs de Sydney [manuscript] + National Park (736) [in negative]; 11) (16 Septembre). “Mount Victoria” – Montagnes Bleues (N.S.W.) [manuscript] + “Manor House.” M. Victoria (777) [in negative]; 12) Govett’s Leap. Montagnes Bleues [manuscript] + Govette’s Gorge [in negative]; 13) Govett’s Leap. Montagnes Bleues [manuscript] + Govette’s Leap Falls. 684. Kerry photo, Sydney [in negative]; 14) Wentworth. Montagnes Bleues [manuscript] + View of Prince’s Rock. Wentworth Falls (846) [in negative]; 15) Prince’s Rock. Wentworth. 856. Kerry photo, Sydney [in negative]; 16) Wentworth Falls. 587. Kerry photo, Sydney [in negative]; 17) “Rachael.” Wentworth Falls (893) [in negative]; 18) Entire view. Wentworth Falls (842) [in negative]; 19) Queen’s Cascade. Wentworth Falls (820) [in negative]; 20) Melbourne (23 7bre – 1er Octobre). Vue prise de la tour de la Poste [manuscript] + 281 [in negative]; 21) Melbourne. Collin’s Stret [manuscript]; 22) Bourke St. Looking west from Swanston St. – Melb. 72. C. Rudd photo [in negative]; 23) Town Hall. Melbourne. 104 [in negative]; 24) First Government House in Victoria. 139 [in negative]; 25) Government House. Melbourne. 105 [in negative]; 26) General Post Office. Melbourne. C. Rudd photo [in negative]; 27) Exhibition building. Melb. 83a. C. Rudd photo [in negative]; 28) Port Melbourne. Railway pier [manuscript] + 24 [in negative]; 29) Bendigo (Victoria) (1r Octobre) [manuscript] + 248 [in negative]; 30) 545 [in negative]; 31) Mines d’or à Bendigo [manuscript]; 32) Hobart (Tasmanie) (5-12 Octobre 92) [manuscript]; 33) Hobart et le Mont Wellington. Vus de la rive gauche de la Derwent [manuscript]; 34) Huon Road. Environs d’Hobart [manuscript]; 35) Hobart. Macquarie Street [manuscript]; 36) “Fern Tree Bower,” Environs d’Hobart [manuscript]; 37) Le Mont Wellington, vu de Huon Road [manuscript]; 38) View on Huon Road, 187a [in negative]; 39) Mt. Wellington from Cascades, 410a [in negative]; 40) Environs d’Hobart [manuscript]; 41) Environs d’Hobart [manuscript]; 42) New Norfolk (Environs d’Hobart) [manuscript]; 43) La Derwent pres de New Norfolk [manuscript]; 44) Sur le mont Wellington [manuscript]; 45) Sommet du Mt. Wellington [manuscript]; 46) Cap Raoul (Tasmanie) [manuscript].