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Melbourne's Biggest Family Album Collection
Image: Digital Photograph - Four Girls in Shallow Water, St Kilda Beach, circa 1910
Source: Museum Victoria
In 2006 Museum Victoria embarked upon a community collecting project with past and present Melburnians, who searched their private albums for their favourite photographs of Melbourne. Over 1000 family photographs were collected for 'Melbourne's Biggest Family Album'. Selected photographs are featured in the 'Melbourne Story' exhibition, and the collection is also accessible through the 'Melbourne Story' exhibition website: http://museumvictoria.com.au/melbournemuseum/whatson/current-exhibitions/melbournestory/bfa/
These wonderful images have opened up many new perspectives on Melbourne's history, and provide evocative, personal insights into life in Melbourne from the late 19th century to the early 21st century. More than just records of individual family life, these photographs are a wonderful resource for exploring the history of communities, places and events.
Featuring approximately 170 Melbourne suburbs, the photographs depict people of all ages, from a range of cultures. Melburnians are captured at home, on the streets, working, celebrating, travelling, playing and mourning. These photographs also show some of our city's hidden histories - people travelling on public transport, hanging out their washing, browsing inside shops, sleeping in their bedrooms, and washing in the bathroom.
Project Background
The Biggest Family Album concept is based around the copying of photographs rather than the donation of originals, meaning that families retain their precious photos, while archival copies are held at the museum. For this project, the copying was done in digital format using a high resolution digital camera.
The Melbourne collecting project was conducted in partnership with four public libraries, in Beaumaris, Box Hill, Broadmeadows and Footscray. Library staff and local council officers supported and promoted the project, while ABC radio, community newspapers and The Age newspaper assisted with publicity.
Over 120 contributors responded enthusiastically to the invitation to share their photographs, with most bringing several generations of family photographs with them. Contributors also often came along with a family member who could help with accurately documenting the photographs. They brought with them not just photographs, but stories, emotions and a passion about their place in history. More than a few tears were shed as personal anecdotes were remembered and recounted to museum staff.
The Biggest Family Album in Australia Collection
Melbourne's Biggest Family Album Collection was based on The Biggest Family Album in Australia Collection project, undertaken by the museum in the 1980s and 1990s, to collect copies of family photos from rural and regional Victoria. This pioneering project was immensely successful, resulting in a collection of over 9,000 photos dating from the 1890s to the 1940s. These photographs continue to be a resource for the entire community, appearing in education programs, history books, exhibitions, student projects, and community projects. http://museumvictoria.com.au/bfa/
Items per page: 10 50 (showing 21 - 30) 1071 items
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Digital Photograph - Holden Brothers Circus, Five Men Repairing a Model T Ford & Boy Crouc ...
Black and white image of a group of men repairing a Model T Ford motor car that has broken down on the side of the road in the 1920s. The car was being used to transport the Holden Br ...
Images: 1 -
Digital Photograph - Holden Brothers Circus, Indigenous 'Buck Jumper' Riding Rearing Horse ...
An Indigenous man riding a rearing horse by a wooden fence. This photograph shows 'Combo' George, a Holden Brothers Circus show hand and horse handler, circa 1900 - 1910. Melba Ryan re ...
Images: 1 -
Digital Photograph - Man Holding a Trout from Eildon Weir, Abbotsford, 1950
A man holding a dead trout by the gills in his backyard. There is a corrugated iron fence behind him and rock edging for a garden bed in front of him. This photograph shows Brian Watso ...
From: Abbotsford, Australia Images: 1 -
Digital Photograph - Myers Store Decorated for Melbourne Olympic Games, Bourke Street, Mel ...
Contributed by Mr David Meale
From: Melbourne, Australia Images: 2 -
Digital Photograph - 'The Pearl', Girl in Backyard, Playing with Book & Deck Chair, Deepde ...
Contributed by Mierisch family
From: Yea, Australia Images: 1 -
Digital Photograph - Man Leaning on Luggage Trunk, Awaiting Detention as Enemy Alien, 1939
Contributed by Mrs Patricia Morgan
From: Port Melbourne, Australia Images: 1 -
Digital Photograph - Christening, St Joseph's Catholic Church, Port Melbourne, circa 1969
Black and white photograph showing a Lhuede family christening at St Joseph's Catholic Church, Port Melbourne, circa 1969. Kate Lhuede believes that her family was probably waiting in ...
From: Port Melbourne, Australia Images: 1 -
Digital Photograph - Boy with Two Cakes, Third Birthday, Prahran, 1942
Black and white photograph showing Kevin Greenhatch with two birthday cakes on his third birthday, in Prahran in March 1942. This photograph was taken to send to his father who was away ...
From: Prahran, Australia Images: 1 -
Digital Photograph - Transaction at K & A Pappas Australian & Continental Milk Bar, Presto ...
Contributed by Ms Dimitra Birthisel
From: Preston, Australia Images: 1 -
Digital Photograph - Holden Brothers Circus, Indigenous Man with a Bridled Horse, circa 19 ...
An Indigenous man with a bridled grey horse. Another horse grazes in the background. This photograph shows 'Combo' George of Holden Brothers Circus, probably bridling a horse, circa 19 ...
Images: 1
