Arabic version: ألبوم صور فيكتوري نادر يقدم لمحة عن تاريخ العائلة

Colleen Dorahy from Unanderra in NSW inherited a Victorian photo album that raises questions about her family’s past. The album, dated 1880, features portraits of her relatives and is a rare example of working-class history in photography. According to ABC News, Holly Schulte from Museums of History NSW notes that stories of working-class families are often less documented compared to their upper-class counterparts.

The album, measuring 9.5cm by 8cm, contains 48 small portraits, each approximately 2.5cm by 2cm. It belonged to Dorahy’s great-great-grandfather, Joseph Madden, who was a shopkeeper and musician in Oatlands, Tasmania, during the late 19th century. Despite her efforts to research the album, Dorahy has found limited information about its contents.

Schulte explained that the album likely served as a family keepsake, curated over time. The cover features a logo from Gove and Allen, a photography studio that popularized ‘gem tintype’ photography in Australia. This process involved creating images on a thin sheet of iron, making it an affordable option for families at the time.

The ‘Little Gem’ tintypes were designed to be shared among family and friends. The album serves not only as a historical artifact but also as a tribute to the individuals it depicts. The portraits capture expressions of men, women, and children, who had to maintain stillness for several seconds during the exposure, resulting in a unique glimpse into the past.

Dorahy’s album highlights a significant moment in photographic history when studio portraits became accessible to the masses. It reflects the evolving relationship between individuals and their own images, marking a time when people first began to see themselves in photographs.