Summary

Photograph of James Sherrard taken by Johnstone O'Shannessy and Company Ltd., Photographers, Melbourne, circa 1890.
Sherrard was secretary at the time of this photograph and a member of the Trustees of the Exhibition Building, Melbourne, from 1881 until his sad suicide within the building in 1900.

One of a set of eight silver gelatin monochrome photographs taken by Johnstone O'Shannessy and Company, Ltd., Photographers, Melbourne, circa 1890. The photographs are portraits of Trustees of the Exhibition Building, Melbourne, and were transferred from the Trustees of the Royal Exhibition Building (REB) to Museums Victoria in 1996.

Description of Content

Large format studio portrait bust of gentleman wearing dark jacket with horseshoe pin on white tie and white lapel flower.

Physical Description

Monochrome photograph on board.

Significance

Statement of Significance:
Each of the photographs in the set was probably specially commissioned by the Trustees of the Exhibition Building, possibly at the time of the 1888 International Exhibition, Melbourne, and produced in large format suitable for display. The legend giving the person's name and position is written in ink at the bottom of the mount in each case, suggesting that the photographs were produced as a set. The photographs had been pinned to a board at some stage, as evidenced by holes on each corner. They also appear to have been mounted in a mount for framing at some stage.

These are fine professional photographs of the Trustees in the prime of life, taken to commemorate their work at the time of the 1888 Exhibition (they don't appear to be worried that the exhibition had a substantial loss...).

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