Summary
This is a colour postcard of the Exhibition Building showing the southern facade and the sundial in the gardens, circa 1908. The postcard was sent to Miss E Head, Devonport, England and is postmarked 3 June 1908.
The Exhibition Building was built for the 1880 Melbourne International Exhibition, which opened to visitors on 1 October 1880. On 9 May 1901, it hosted the opening of the First Commonwealth Parliament of Australia. By the early 20th century, picture postcards of the Exhibition Building were a popular Melbourne souvenir.
The division of the reverse of the postcard, allowing a message to be written on one half and the address on the other, was not permitted in Britain until 1902 and Australia until 1905.
Physical Description
A colour tinted photograph of the southern facade of the Exhibition Building with lawn, trees and the sun dial in the foreground. The photograph is tinted in mauve, orange and green. On the reverse of the card there is an extensive handwritten inscription and address in black ink. In the upper right hand corner there is an orange Victorian postage stamp.
More Information
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Collection Names
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Collecting Areas
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Acquisition Information
Transfer from Trustees of the Royal Exhibition Building (REB), 1996
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Place & Date Made
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Place & Date Depicted
Royal Exhibition Building (REB), Melbourne, Greater Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, circa 1908
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Addressed To
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Place & Date Used
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Inscriptions
Obverse, text: The Sun Dial, Exhibition Gardens, Carlton. Obverse, inscription: (?)/ 3.6.08/ Melbourne Reverse, text: POST CARD; This Space may be used for Correspondence.; This Space for Address Only. Reverse, handwritten: Dear Ethel,/ Doll has asked/ me to send you a card She/ thought it was so good of you/ to enquire after her. She is re ad/ mitted into the hospital again./ The paper will tell you all the news/ Well I think Maude's baby is very/ much like her little sister/ Doll said you must not forget/ her & to give her love to your father/ & accept love from Doll & myself/ from Dolly & Addie xx; Miss E. Head/ 9 Sorows heud Ave (?)/ Keepham Barton (?)/ Devonport/ England, Devon Reverse, postmarked: VICT 1908
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Classification
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Category
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Discipline
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Type of item
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Overall Dimensions
140 mm (Width), 89 mm (Height)
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Keywords
Buildings, Civic Mementoes, Correspondence, Exterior Views, Postcards, Royal Exhibition Building, Souvenirs