Precious photos capture snapshots in time

Conservators completed the delicate task of preserving and digitising a rare series of 179 panoramas with scenes of Australian landscapes unique to that era.

The panoramas provide a snapshot in time - from beach life to agricultural shows, regional floods to international sporting matches.

The large black-and-white photographs were originally lodged with the Copyright Office by the Exchange Studio of Pitt St Sydney and Alfred Cutle, said Conservation laboratory manager Travis Taylor.

"The panoramas came to the Archives tightly rolled. They were dirty, had cracks and tears and even signs of insect damage. It took a lot of patience and care, stage by stage, to coax them to life.

"After cleaning, gently flattening and mending each panorama, the conservation team shot and stitched together five to six high-resolution photographs to create a digital record of each panorama,' Mr Taylor said.

Previously unseen photographs include Flinders Street Station before the current building and its clocks, and images of troop transports departing for the First World War.

Public records preserved in time provide valuable insights for historians and family researchers seeking to make a connection with the past or solve a mystery from history.

The work is one of the many projects undertaken in the conservation lab at the Peter Durack Building in Canberra to ensure that the collection is not only preserved but is also accessible for future generations to access and explore.

The A1861 Series can be found on the National Archives Records data base

www.naa.gov.au/explore-collection click on record search, photo search, (key words) panoramic exhibit, (date) 1900 - 1950.