Summary

One of a subset of five negatives taken of the Royal Exhibition Building at Carlton.

This subset is part of approximately 3,000 negatives taken by Jim Payens, the Melbourne based aerial photographer, and form part of the Payens Collection. The images span the period predominantly between the 1950s - 1970s.

Jim Payens was one of a very small number of Australian photographers to have specialised in oblique and survey aerial photography. He was also one of the earliest Australian aerial photographers. This collection consists predominantly of aerial views of the city of Melbourne, surrounding suburbs and regional Victoria but also extends to other parts of Australia. The Collection depicts a variety of landmark events and major engineering projects throughout Australia including the Australian Grand Prix, Olympic Games (Melbourne & Sydney) and the construction of Eildon Weir.

The Museum also holds the aerial camera and equipment used by Payens to take these images as well as an oral history interview with the photographer.

Description of Content

Oblique aerial photograph of the Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens looking south-west from Brunswick Street showing the area bounded by Brunswick, Bourke, Spencer and Queensberry Streets. Also featured is Victoria and La Trobe Streets. Beyond this is Victoria Docks (now Melbourne Docklands). In the foreground is the Royal Exhibition Building with the east and west annexes attached, as well as Migration Reception Centre huts. The Hochgurtel Fountain is visible on the south side of the main building. Further in the State Library of Victoria can be seen on La Trobe Street as well as the Russell Street Police Headquarters and the Melbourne Magistrates' Court (now Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, RMIT, Building 20).

Physical Description

negative; black and white; silver gelatin; cellulose acetate.

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