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Photograph - Victorian Mining Court, Temporary Annexe, Exhibition Building, 1880-1881
Reg. No: MM 107808
- Summary:
- View of the Victorian Mining Court in the central temporary annexe at the 1880 Melbourne International Exhibition held at the Exhibition Buildings, Carlton Gardens, between 1 October 1880 and 30 April 1881.
In addition to the main permanent Exhibition Building, two permanent annexes as well as a large, central wooden temporary annexe was constructed to house the courts of various countries, or to include larger items from countries already represented in the main Building.
Victoria had courts in the Great Hall of the main Exhibition Building, as well as in the central temporary annexes and in the Eastern Annexe, or Machinery Annexe. The display of mining exhibits, so central to Victoria's prosperity over the preceeding decades, was housed in the temporary annexe court. One of its most striking exhibits, seen in this photograph, was the rhombic dodecahedron representing the total bulk of gold raised in Victoria up until the 30 June 1880. It represented the 49,096,408 ounces, or 1503 tons of gold that had been extracted from Victorian goldfields, with a value of £196,393,632. A very similar engraved illustration of this view, also showing the rhombic dodecahedron, appeared in the Australasian Sketcher on 6 November 1880, p. 296.
Explaining the origins of the rhombic dodecahedron, the Argus wrote:
'A twelve-sided rhombic crystal has been chosen for the Victorian trophy. Each of the rhombs has sides 9ft. long, and the longest diameter of the figure is 22ft. It has been a complicated matter to so design the crystal that it shall represent by its bulk the total quantity of gold, in ounces, raised from the alluvial and quartz mines of this colony. The adoption of a rhombic dodecahedron was suggested by one of the offices of the Mining department, and two other gentlemen in the same office calculated the dimensions. The crystal will be mounted on a pedestal in the section devoted to mining in the Victorian court. Its vase size and unusual form will procure it abundant notice from visitors.'
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:
- Monochrome photograph in a black leather bound album with decorative gold tooled border and gold tooled lettering in centre of front cover. Inside, 61 monochrome photographic plates showing exterior and interior views of the 1880 International Exhibition, held at the Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne. Each photograph is mounted on heavy buff coloured card and has a simple black line border with a title beneath the photograph.
- Statement Of 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.
- Description Of Content:
- International Exhibition, Melbourne, 1880: interior view of the Exhibition Building showing the Victorian Mining Court, with a model representative of the total gold raised in Victoria to 30th June 1880.
- Acquisition Information:
- Transfer from Trustees of the Royal Exhibition Building (REB), 1991
- Acknowledgement:
- Source: Museum Victoria
| Discipline: | History |
| Dimensions: | 239 mm (Height), 288 mm (Width) |
| Dimension Comment: | Overall dimensions of the album page |
More information
| Tagged with: | civic mementoes, exhibitions, exhibitions melbourne international 1880-1881, mining, buildings, keepsakes, royal exhibition building, medal presentations, public ceremonies, photography, gold mining, royal exhibition building trustees, royal exhibition building history of events 1879-1899 |
| Themes this item is part of: | Ludovico Hart, Photographer (circa1836-1919), Images & Image Making Collection, Public Life & Institutions Collection, Royal Exhibition Building Collection |
| Primary Classification: | PUBLIC EVENTS |
| Secondary Classification: | Melbourne International Exhibition 1880 |
| Tertiary Classification: | photograph albums |
| Inscriptions: | Printed in black ink on card below the photograph: '9. VICTORIAN MINING COURT.' |
| Format: | Photograph: Monochrome |
| Place & Date Depicted: | Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 1880 |
| Manufactured For: | Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 1880 |
| Photographer: | Ludovico Hart, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 1880 |
| Presented To: | Mr Thomas Hill - Melbourne Commission, 1880 Melbourne International Exhibition, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 1880 |
| Presented By: | The Exhibition Trustees, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 1880 |
| References: |
'Exhibition Notes', Argus, 10 Sep 1880, p.3. 'The Melbourne Exhibition', Mercury, 20 December 1880, p. 3. Australasian Sketcher, 6 November 1880, pp.295-96. On Ludovico Hart see: The Aust'n Photographic Journal, 20 March 1896, p.56. On the Victorian Mining Court see: 'The Victorian Mining Exhibits at the Exhibition', Argus, 17 November 1880, p.7; 'The Victorian Mining Exhibits at the Exhibition', Argus, 18 November 1880, p.6.; 'Melbourne International Exhibition', Argus, 7 June 1880, p.7.; 'Melbourne International Exhibition', Queenslander, 4 December 1880, pp.725-26. |
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