Summary

An unframed sepia photo of the interior of the National Museum of Victoria, taken by the studio of Charles Nettleton circa 1870.

This photograph is part of a small group of five photographs and one glass negative taken by Charles Nettleton during 1870 - 1895. They feature views of significant Melbourne buildings and interiors including the Treasury Building, the Old Museum, and the (Royal) Exhibition Building. The small collection is significant as it provides a visual record of Melbourne's early development, and also reveals the work of an important local photographer.

Charles Nettleton was a prolific outdoor photographer who worked over a period of forty years in Australia, after moving to Melbourne from the United Kingdom in 1854. He became well known for his photographic expertise and in 1858, opened his own studio. In 1867, he was appointed official Royal photographer in Australia and he also worked as the official police photographer for over 25 years in the 1860s - 1880s. His photographs were exhibited at international exhibitions in Dublin in 1865, Paris in 1867 and Sydney in 1879. Nettleton retired in 1890, as new dry plate photographic technology made the wet place process he employed redundant. His photographs are held by major institutions around Australia.

This photograph was stored for many years in the National Museum of Victoria when it was located at 328 Swanston Street. It was discovered in a storeroom in 1995.

Description of Content

An unframed sepia photo of the interior of the National Museum of Victoria, taken by the studio of Charles Nettleton circa 1870. The image shows many cabinets and displays of animals, bones and artefacts along the two levels of the room. In 1870, the National Museum of Victoria was located at the University of Melbourne campus, in Parkville.

More Information