Search the collections
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 51 - 60) 1071 items
-
Digital Photograph - Two Girls & Boy with Volkswagen 'Beetle' Motor Car in Driveway, Cambe ...
Contributed by Ms Ann Kriegler
From: Camberwell, Australia Images: 1 -
Digital Photograph - Joseph Solomon & Mary Phillips on their Wedding Day, Richmond, 1886
Digital photograph of a studio portrait of Joseph Solomon and Mary Phillips on their wedding day in Richmond, 1886. Frisby and Mason, were not listed in Bridge Road Richmond until 1887; ...
From: Richmond, Australia Images: 1 -
Digital Photograph - Ivan Kucan & Friends Sitting in Passenger Shelter at Flinders Street ...
Black and white photograph showing Ivan Kucan and friends in a passenger shelter on the platform at Flinders Street, Melbourne, 1951. According to Ivan's family, in 1949 the Kucan fam ...
From: Melbourne, Australia Images: 2 -
Digital Photograph - Owner & Assistant in Front of Window Display, Doolan's Butcher Shop, ...
Contributed by Mr Peter Doolan
From: Fitzroy, Australia Images: 1 -
Digital Photograph - Family Among Crowds at Croydon Swimming Pool, 1964
Colour photograph featuring the Ellerbock family and friends in swimming costumes at Croydon Swimming Pool, 1964. The family had travelled by train from Ringwood East. The Ellerbock f ...
From: Croydon, Australia Images: 2 -
Digital Photograph - Girls & Cable Tram, Melbourne, 1940s
Black and white photograph showing Thelma Clements, Velda Clements, Helen Burgess and a friend riding a cable tram in Melbourne, possibly on St Kilda Rd, 1940s.
From: Melbourne, Australia Images: 1 -
Digital Photograph - Builders Working on Royal Melbourne Hospital Site, Parkville, circa l ...
Black and white photograph featuring a group of eleven men, including John Bray, who was a builder, working on construction of the new Royal Melbourne Hospital in Parkville around the l ...
From: Parkville, Australia Images: 1 -
Digital Photograph - Man Standing at Gate of Holiday House, Ferntree Gully, 1935
Contributed by Mr Russell Beedles
From: Upper Ferntree Gully, Australia Images: 1 -
Digital Photograph - Serviceman Standing with his Wife, Brunswick West, 1940
Black and white photograph showing Donald Livermore, who was about to leave for service in World War II, with his wife Joyce in Brunswick West, 1940. Mr Livermore was a gunner who serve ...
From: Brunswick West, Australia Images: 1 -
Digital Photograph - Olympic Pool Interior, Under Construction for Melbourne Olympic Games ...
Contributed by Mr David Meale
From: Melbourne, Australia Images: 1
