Historical information

These booklets were produced in 1896 by the Warrnambool photographer, Joseph Jordan as a souvenir of Warrnambool with three of them being also souvenirs of the 1896-7 Warrnambool Industrial and Art Exhibition. Joseph Jordan, born in England, took up photography whilst on military service in India. In 1890 he set up as a professional photographer in Warrnambool and became well-known for his family portraits and official photographs of civic dignitaries in the town. He retired in 1916 and the business was continued by his son, Arthur. The Warrnambool Industrial and Art Exhibition was held over three months in 1896-7 in the civic buildings with some temporary buildings added. 70,000 people were said to have attended over that time with concerts, operas, art and sporting competitions and many exhibits. Joseph Jordan had the exclusive rights to publish a souvenir booklet.

Significance

These booklets are of prime importance because:-
1. They are invaluable pictorial records of Warrnambool and district in the late 1890s.
2. They contain valuable advertisements which give us pictorial representations and other information on businesses in Warrnambool in the late 1890s.
3. Three of them relate directly to the Warrnambool Industrial and Art Exhibition and contain an article dealing with the Exhibition.
4. They contain a written description of Warrnambool in the late 1890s.
5. They show the work of one of our most important photographers, Joseph Jordan and probably also the work of his son, Arthur.

Physical description

These booklets have been published in 1896 by the Warrnambool photographer, Joseph Jordan and contain 15 pages of black and white photographs of Warrnambool and district, many advertisements for local and Melbourne business and an article of the town of Warrnambool. Three of the booklets also contain information on the 1896-7 Warrnambool Industrial and Art Exhibition.
Booklet One and Two – dark red hard cover with the title in gold and ornamental scroll work. The cover printing of Booklet Two is almost obliterated. The books are glued and reinforced with string.
Booklets Three, Four and Five – soft covers in beige tonings with the title in black print and featuring ornamental scroll work with a sketch of a bird. The covers have much foxing. The booklets are bound with black and brown tape.

Inscriptions & markings

Booklet One: ‘Ivy Morden’
Booklet Two; ‘Mr Peter Gibbons’