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Summary:: This is a colour postcard of the southern facade of the Exhibition Building pre 1905. The postcard, which in unused, was possibly made by Robert Jolley of Melbourne.

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 Australia until 1905.
Description:: A colour tinted photograph of the Exhibition Building showing a view of the south east corner of the building with the lake in the foreground. The card is tinted in pinks, blues and greens to reflect a sunset on the building. The photograph is surrounded by a grey border with a title below the image. On the reverse of the card there is space to write a message, an address and to place a stamp. The card is unused.

Discipline:	History
Dimensions:	89 mm (Height), 140 mm (Width)

Tagged with:	civic mementoes, exterior views, royal exhibition building, souvenirs, buildings, postcards
Themes this item is part of:	Royal Exhibition Building Collection, Public Life & Institutions Collection
Primary Classification:	ROYAL EXHIBITION BUILDING
Secondary Classification:	Revenue
Tertiary Classification:	souvenir postcards
Inscriptions:	Obverse, text: Exhibition Building, Melbourne. Reverse, text: Post Card; THE ADDRESS ONLY TO BE WRITTEN ON THIS SIDE.; PLACE/ POSTAGE/ STAMP/ HERE.
Publisher:	Robert Jolley, Australia, pre 1905 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.
Place & Date Depicted:	Royal Exhibition Building (REB), Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, pre 1905