Summary
Black and white 5" x 4" negative showing a courtyard section of Preston Market in Melbourne in 1970.
This image is part of the Laurie Richards Collection at Museum Victoria comprising approximately 85,000 negatives taken by the Melbourne based Laurie Richards Studio between the 1950s -1970s. These negatives are all mostly large format [5"x 4"/ 12.5 x 10 cm], black and white images, though a significant number are in colour. The many photographic jobs that were undertaken in the course of thirty years are itemised in a set of log books, copies of which are also held by Museum Victoria.
Laurie Richards was a professional photographer who began his career as a photo-journalist, working for the Advertiser newspaper in Adelaide, and the Argus and the Herald newspapers in Melbourne. In 1953, he opened his own business and set up a photographic studio at his home at 4 Tower Avenue, Alphington, an inner suburb of Melbourne. At its peak, in the late 1960s, the Laurie Richards Studio was one of Melbourne's pre-eminent commercial photographic studios, employing twelve photographers. The Laurie Richards Studio worked mainly in advertising and public relations, and had a broad clientele which included commercial companies, government institutions and the entertainment industry.
Description of Content
Section of Preston Market showing a number of people located in a courtyard surrounded by various shops, including take-away and food shops. Many of the people are mothers with children. Large pot plants are located down the middle of the courtyard, and there is a roof partially overhanging the four sides of the courtyard. In the right foreground a sign says 'Welcome to Preston Market / poultry / meat / fish'.
Physical Description
Black and white 5" x 4" cellullose acetate negative.
Significance
Because of the breadth of both the subject matter photographed and the diverse businesses which commissioned the work, and the excellent documentation that accompanies the collection, the Laurie Richards Collection at Museum Victoria is an invaluable record of Melbourne's commercial and industrial past and as such gives an insight into the social history of that period.
More Information
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Collection Names
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Collecting Areas
Home & Community, Working Life & Trades, Images & Image Making
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Acquisition Information
Purchase
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Place & Date Depicted
Preston Market, Preston, Greater Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 1970
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Photographer
Laurie Richards Studio, 4 Tower Avenue, Alphington, Greater Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 1970
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Format
Negative, 5" x 4", Black & White
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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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Image Dimensions - Negative/s
103 mm (Width), 100 mm (Height)
Approximate Dimensions
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References
Image used in Preston Market Heritage Report 2017 [See bibliography below]
[Electronic] City of Darebin & Context. 2017. Preston Market Heritage Study., 2017
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Keywords
Markets, Outdoor Furniture, Plants, Prams, Shopping, Shops, Signage, Take Away Foods