This series comprises contact print albums of photographs. The albums form an easily accessible visual record of visits to Australia by foreign officials and heads of government as well as important events in Australia.

Substantial numbers of photographs were taken and a quick means of viewing them was needed which is why the album format was adopted.

Initially, each visit was given its own album number (ie 1, 2, 3 etc). However, from 1973, when fewer photographs were taken of each visit, more than one visit was combined into a single album/item number.

Many of the photographs taken of visits in the records to 1967 were given their own unique numbering system which was distinct from the usual 'L' prefix numbers used at that time (refer CRS A1200, Photographic negatives and prints, single number series with 'L' (Library) prefix).

It is not certain that a register exists for all of these photographs; however, there is a record of some of the items contained in CRS A8282, List of contact print album collections for VIP visits and other important occasions.

The albums themselves consist of postcard size or contact print photographs glued or pasted onto grey or black heavy art paper and bound into computer paper type binders. 

Early albums have photographs mounted on one side of the paper only. More recent albums have photographs mounted on both sides of the  double-sided sticky paper.

The albums are numbered along the spine and details of contents dynotaped on the front cover. Some of the dynotape is missing on some albums. On later albums the dynotape has been sellotaped to the cover.

Each photograph has its number written below it and sometimes a brief description or caption may be added.

Many of the early albums do not have the photographs numbered in the same order the photographs were taken and this sometimes makes it difficult to identify the location or persons in the photographs.

System of arrangement and control

The numbers 96 and 104 do not appear to have been used since these numbers are not listed in the control list (A8282) or in the custody of Archives.

The following album numbers are, as at 16 June 2000, not in the custody of Archives:

159 - [1978] Commonwealth Speakers and Presiding Officers Convention (loaned to Joint House in 1981 by creating agency)

239, 247, 255, 257, 260, 262, 265, 268, 269, 270, 272 - [1990s] Archives has no information for these album numbers as to their content, whereabouts or existence.  It is possible that the present controlling agency, CA 5987, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, holds these albums.