Photograph - Rural landscape, c.1926

Historical information

Henry Beater Christian (1886-1962) , was a descendant of one of the earliest settler families in Kew. Employed at the Kew Asylum as a 'public servant', he was a skilled amateur photographer, photographing numerous scenes in Kew and on his travels around Victoria. The majority of his photographs date from 1916 to 1929. His finest photographs are housed in two photograph albums.

Physical description

Digital copy of a photograph from page 17 of the 47-page photograph album containing 261 gelatinous silver images, loaned by Diane Washfold with permission given to digitise and hold a copy in our collection. This photograph, dating from c.1926, forms part of a group of photos preceding images of [Black] Spur, so the photographs may have been taken as part of that bushwalking trip. John Chapman has written in 'Bushwalking Clubs - A Brief History', about the establishment in Victoria of the first bushwalking club in 1888, and the popularisation of bushwalking during the interwar period. Henry Christian's 'walks' appear to have been undertaken solely or with a companion/s. This camera shot invites the viewer to access the landscape through the point-of-view of the man standing with his back to the camera at the edge of the road. The man holds leaves in his left hand [to deter insects], and has a knapsack on his back. The landscape in the distance includes both cleared land for farming and remnant vegetation. The oval framing device was used when Henry Christian developed the photo.

Inscriptions & markings

Illegible ink inscription on page

Other parts of this item

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