Summary

View of the main Exhibition Building from the south-east near the eastern entrance on Nicholson Street at the time of the 1880 Melbourne International Exhibition held at the Exhibition Buildings, between 1 October 1880 and 30 April 1881.

This is one of sixty-one photographs in a presentation photograph album titled '1880 Melbourne International Exhibition' presented to Thomas B. Hill. Hill was the Assistant Secretary of the 1880 Melbourne International Exhibition. This leather bound album was given to Hill, and all the Exhibition Commissioners, by the Exhibition Trustees. The photographer is believed to be Ludovico Hart, acting on a private commission from the Exhibition Trustees.

Description of Content

International Exhibition, Melbourne, 1880: exterior view of the Exhibition Building from Nicholson Street. The original ornamental lake is in the foreground.

Physical Description

Monochrome, gold-toned, silver gelatin photograph mounted on heavy buff coloured card with a simple black line border and title beneath the photograph.

Significance

The Royal Exhibition Building has played an important role in Melbourne's social commercial and sporting life since it was built for the Melbourne International Exhibition in 1880. The building's size and scale provide us with a physical example of 'boom-time' Melbourne in 1880. The international exhibitions of the late 1800s provided the fledgling Australian colonies with a forum in which to showcase their progress in commerce and industry to the world. This album is significant for its detailed visual record of the first international exhibition held in Melbourne. It has clear views of the colonial & international courts, as well as specific prominent exhibits. It also provides a contemporary view of the Exhibition Building interior and exterior in the year it was constructed.

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