Postcard - South West Facade, Exhibition Building, Valentine's Series, Melbourne, circa 1908

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Summary:: This is a colour postcard of the Exhibition Building, showing a view through the garden of the south west corner of the building circa 1908. The postcard, which has a handwritten inscription on the reverse, was printed as part of the Valentine's Series by Valentine & Sons, Dundee, Scotland.

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.
Description:: A colour tinted photograph of the Exhibition Building from south east with trees shrubs and garden paths in the foreground. The building is obscured by the garden. The sky is tinted light blue and orange, as though at sunset. The image is framed by a wide white border on all sides. In the bottom right hand corner are the initials JV in a circle with a series number. This is the trademark of Valentine & Sons, publishers. On the reverse of the postcard, a handwritten address and message in black ink. In the upper right hand corner there is an orange Tasmanian postage stamp depicting Mount Wellington.

Discipline:	History
Dimensions:	90 mm (Height), 141 mm (Width)

Tagged with:	buildings, civic mementoes, correspondence, exterior views, royal exhibition building, souvenirs, 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 BUILDINGS, MELBOURNE; 55042. JV. Reverse, text: POST CARD; PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN; This space may be used for communication; The Address only to be written/ here; VALENTINE'S SERIES Reverse, postmarked: CRESSY/ DE 3/ 1908 Reverse, handwritten: Cressy/ 3.12.08; Dear Friend/ Thanks/ very much for the very/ nice Cards you sent me./ "No" Eva did not send/ me her photo on a Post/ Card. With lots of/ love from Charlie./ xxx; Mrs Hines/ 5 James Street/ Battery Point/ Hobart.
Publisher:	Valentine & Sons Ltd., Glasgow, Scotland, Great Britain, circa 1908
Place & Date Depicted:	Royal Exhibition Building (REB), Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, circa 1908
Addressed To:	Mrs Hines, 03 Dec 1908
Place & Date Used:	Cressy, Tasmania, Australia, 1908
References:	See Cook, David. 'Picture Postcards in Australia' pp153-154 for info re Valentine & Sons.