Summary heading

A3348 – Glass Lantern Slides of the opening of Federal Parliament, Canberra in May 1927 and other contemporary scenes of Canberra.   

Function and purpose

This series consists of fifty glass lantern slides received from the Department of the House of Representatives. The slides depict early images of Canberra, taken by William James Mildenhall around 1927. Shown in the slides are the development of Canberra suburbs like Kingston and Manuka, the construction of infrastructure, significant buildings (such as Government House and the Mount Stromlo Observatory) and the ceremonial opening of Parliament House in May 1927 by His Royal Highness, the Duke of York. The slides appear to have been assembled from more than one collection of images, and were presented in 1947 to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Honourable John Solomon Rosevear.

Almost all the slides are identical or similar to images contained in CRS A3560 - Mildenhall collection of glass plate negatives or the ‘Mildenhall Collection’ at the National Library of Australia (see Relationship with other records below).   

Related legislation

 

Using the series

Photographic prints of each glass lantern slide have been made for use as reference copies. Although listed individually in RecordSearch, these prints are housed together in one album and should be ordered as A3348/1, ALBUM 1 (item barcode 23459). The original slides will not be issued to the Reading Room.

Requests for photographic reproductions or digital images will be processed using negative master copies, which were also made from the original slides. 

Language of material

 

Physical characteristics

The original glass lantern slides measure 8.2 cm square, with the actual photograph measuring approximately 7 cm by 5.3 cm with rounded edges and paperbound, generally with ‘Commonwealth of Australia’ heading. The slides are housed in a wooden partition box, one slide per partition. The box has dovetails, brass hinges and slide catches.     

System of arrangement and control

The actual slides bear the evidence of several dissociated systems of control (recorded in either blue ink on the paper bounds or red ink on adhesive tabs), which indicate that they were assembled from possibly more than one collection. Within the box, the photographs were not arranged in any particular way (for instance, according to subject matter). Once assembled, control was clearly provided by a single running number registered on each slide partition in the box, ranging from 1 to 50.  

Relationships with other records

Most of the glass lantern slide images have been identified as being identical or similar to Mildenhall pictures in CRS A3560 or the National Library’s ‘Mildenhall Collection’. The captions however, are sometimes slightly different. Many of the images can also be found in photographic collections created by the Department of Information.

Item in CRS A3488	Corresponding or similar item in CRS A3560 Or National Library’s Mildenhall Collection		Item in CRS A3488	Corresponding or similar item in CRS A3560 Or National Library’s Mildenhall Collection
1	CRS A3560, 6514		26	NLA PIC 583 Album 827 (nla.pic_an11030057-284)
2	CRS A3560, 813		27	CRS A3560, 7203
3	CRS A3560, 3144		28	CRS A3560, 909
4	CRS A3560, 911		29	CRS A3560, 3397
5	CRS A3560, 683		30	CRS A3560, 3090
6	CRS A3560, 336		31	CRS A3560, 3085
7	CRS A3560, 2944		32
8	CRS A3560, 7202		33	CRS A3560, 2994
9	CRS A3560, 6535		34
10	CRS A3560, 6518		35	CRS A3560, 6538
11	CRS A3560, 3296		36	CRS A3560, 3391A
12	CRS A3560, 3164		37	CRS A3560, 936
13	CRS A3560, 2953		38	CRS A3560, 3138
14	CRS A3560, 6529		39	CRS A3560, 6520
15			40
16	CRS A3560, 2728		41	CRS A3560, 6590
17	CRS A3560, 3104		42	CRS A3560, 256
18	CRS A3560, 6586		43	CRS A3560, 3036
19	CRS A3560, 6528		44	CRS A3560, 6609
20	CRS A3560, 5119		45	CRS A3560, 3149
21	CRS A3560, 3249		46	NLA PIC P583 Album 827 (nla.pic-an11030057-146)
22	CRS A3560, 3147		47	CRS A3560, 3042
23	CRS A3560, 3132		48	CRS A3560, 2603
24	CRS A3560, 720		49	CRS A3560, 3547
25	CRS A3560, 3393		50	CRS A3560, 3508

 

Finding aids

 

Access conditions

Items in this series are Class B Parliamentary records and are subject to the Archives Act 1983. 

Series history

The series was transferred to Archives in 1976, and originally accessioned as AA1976/271. The negative master copies and album of reference prints were made the following year. At that time, item titles were devised for the slides, since they originally came to Archives without captions or identification.

Arrangement and description work was done to the series in March 2004 and August 2005. The system of control symbols for the original slides and negative master copies was standardized. Research was undertaken into the provenance of the series, establishing that they are Mildenhall images. This research also indicated that many of the titles originally imposed by Archives were incorrect, and these were amended accordingly.

and the fact that the slides are of Mildenhall photographs established. Research also indicated that many of the titles originally imposed by Archives were incorrect, and these were amended.  

Provenance

 

Immediate source of acquisition

 

Custodial history

The items were housed in the private vault of JS Rosevear until the series was transferred to Archives.    

Quantity in agency custody

 

Disposal history

 

Publication note

 

Additional information

 

End notes

 

Sources