NSW Government Printing Office : collection of copy negatives, 1870-1988

fonds

1870-1988

Graphic Materials, Photographs

153687

208706 negatives

The New South Wales Government Printing Office was established in 1840 as printer to State Parliament, government departments and other organisations. In the late 1860s a photographic studio was established. The first photographs were often promotional and documentary images, produced for the Government, to illustrate the progress of the colony. These often focused on public buildings and local scenery. The collection also includes work for various government departments, donations (for instance the Star newspaper collection which was donated in 1910), purchased negatives and copy photographs of items in private and institutional (including the Art Gallery of NSW & the Mitchell Library) collections.

In the twentieth century the bulk of the Printing Office's photographic work was centred on promotional work for State Governments. Departments such as Main Roads, Agriculture, Health and the Tourist Bureau commissioned a variety of work. In the later half of the twentieth century the Office's work concentrated on State organised cultural events and promotions and portraits of politicians and public servants. The NSW Government Printing Office was closed in 1989.

In 1986 the Government Printing Office was given a grant by the NSW Bicentennial Secretariat to conserve its collections. A company, Laser Picture Studio was formed to carry out this work. The negatives were copied and transferred to four videodiscs and indexed. Other institutions were invited to contribute: the Macleay Museum (University of Sydney) Historic Photographic Collection contributed c. 1000 images and the Maritime Services Board c. 460 images. Images selected by the Macleay Museum included Hall & Co aerial views of Sydney, Charles Kerry's suburban and rural views in NSW, Professor John Smith's photographs of Sydney in the mid-1800s and Cecil Harnett's early twentieth century images of Sydney social life. The Macleay Museum still holds the original negatives of its images, and the Museum must be approached for permission to reproduce these.

When the Printing Office was closed in 1989 the videodiscs and copy negatives of the GPO, the Macleay Museum, and the Maritime Services Board were transferred to the State Library of NSW. The original glass plate negatives, and other negatives in the GPO collection, were transferred to State Records.

In the mid-1990s the four videodiscs were digitised by the State Library, and made available on the internet via the Manuscripts, Oral History and Pictures catalogue in January 1999.

Each image is described in the catalogue individually and can be identified as part of the NSW Government Printing Office : collection of copy negatives, 1870-1988 by the Call Number prefix "Government Printing Office".

Reference:
Notes compiled from "Priceless Pictures from the remarkable NSW Government Printing Office Collection 1870-1950", NSW Government Printing Office, ca. 1988

Copyright holder:: Crown copyright for the Government Printing Office photographic collection was transferred to the State Library of New South Wales on the 6 November, 1989
Rights and Restrictions Information:: May be copied for reference and publication
Please acknowledge:: Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales

The following negative indexes were published by the Government Printing Office between 1920-1922 ¶Sydney, 1788-1890 : list of available negatives. Sydney : William Applegate Gullick, Government Printer, 1920¶List of portrait negatives available. Sydney : William Applegate Gullick, Government Printer, 1920.¶List of negatives of historical interest in stock. Sydney : Government Printing Office, 1921. ¶List of negatives of historical interest in stock at Government Printing Office, Sydney. Sydney : William Applegate Gullick, Government Printer, 1922.