Historical information

This is a cropped segment of a larger photograph of the intersection of Collins and Swanston Streets that includes cable trams, horse drawn vehicles and pedestrians. The photograph looks north east across the intersection toward the Melbourne Town Hall. It is possible that the subject of this cropped segment is the cable tramway signalman standing beneath a small canopy on the south east corner. Under the canopy were two levers: one to depress and release the Collins Street cable only metres from him to prevent it from rising up through the slot onto the roadway; the other a lever to operate the tramway signal on the pole close by at the very edge of the intersection. The signalman's role was an essential one and he was authorised to direct and report all rule breaking by the gripmen passing through this intersection.

Significance

Yields information about cable tramway operations.

Physical description

Black and white photograph and nothing on rear.