These photographic prints were acquired by the Historical Section of the General Post Office from official sources and through donation from the relatives of former employees of the postal service.

They are of varying sizes while some are of irregular shape.

For ease of identification the prints are grouped according to subject. Images include builings placed in alphabetical order, individuals (identified and unknown), and social or sporting groups (identified or unknown) arranged in chronological order.

Some of the prints were copied years ago and appear in the N and HN series of photographs which were also maintained by the Historical Section.

The bulk of the items in this series, particularly those relating to post office buildings, date from late last century through to the early years of the twentieth century. The photographs within the collection also represent people and areas throughout New South Wales, although a significant number of photographs within the series do depict the Sydney GPO.

All items from this series have been added to the Archives' item level database.

In 2003, Preservation staff carried out intensive conservation treatment on item 58 as part of a photographic conservation course. As a result a preservation copy of the print was produced. This copy was not transferred as a separate item, but is in the same enclosure as the original.