Rare chance to own photographs from stunning collection
Among the 100,000 historic images found in a spare bedroom in Victoria are images from the Northern Rivers.
Lismore
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Historic photos of Lismore, uncovered in a spare bedroom in Victoria, will feature in an auction of one of Australia’s largest and most significant photography collections.
Comprising more than 100,000 items, the Rose Stereograph Company Collection dates back to 1880, revealing a fascinating glimpse into the past, capturing globally historic moments as well as reflecting everyday life in Australia.
Tucked in among historic photos from the landing at Gallipoli, the very first known pictures of Queen Elizabeth II, Phar Lap winning the Melbourne Cup, and Ned Kelly’s armour taken during his trial, are pictures of the Richmond River (now renamed the Wilsons River in Lismore), and Keen Street in Lismore.
Chief operations officer for Lloyds Auctions, Lee Hames spoke about the importance of the historic collection: “We believe this to be a world first, to offer these tangible original glass plates which rival any modern photographic resolution”.
“This has to be one of the most important photographic collections in Australia if not the world and that’s why we have taken considerable measures and invested heavily in state-of-the-art technology in order to honour the owners of one of the most significant photographic collections in Australian history”.
The Rose Stereograph Company was founded in 1880 by George Rose and Herbert Cutts, in the early 20th Century. The pair formed a lifetime working partnership and strong personal friendship.
Assisted by George’s two sons, Herbert George and Walter, and later Herbert’s son, Neil Cutts, the Rose Stereograph Company continued its operations for more than 140 years; and remains an incorporated Australian company.
The company was initially built on stereographs, but as cinema took over and stereographs fell out of fashion, The Rose Stereograph Company developed Australia’s first commercially viable photographic postcard business.
Specialising in postcards of iconic historical moments and significant landmarks, The Rose Stereograph Company became a staple of the Australian travel industry.
A statement from Stephen and Jeffrey Cutts, the current custodians of the collection, said: “It is with great sadness that we say goodbye to a collection that spans five generations and 140 years. We understand that for these historically important pieces to rest with one family is to deny others the pleasure of their custodianship. It is for this reason that we have entrusted you (Lloyds Auctions) as the new custodian of our treasured item”.
Described as a world first, NFTs (non-fungible tokens) will be minted for the items to offer blockchain proof of ownership. and customers can bid for ownership on both the Lloyds Auctions platform and in cryptocurrency on leading NFT marketplaces for rare digital collectibles.
Winning bidders will receive ownership of both the minted NFT, along with a tangible one-of-one original glass plate negative.
The images of Lismore depict well-known landmarks around the town which currently have bids of between $1 and $22.
The top bid currently for the glass plate negative and NFT of Ned Kelly’s armour is $5700.
If you were looking to browse the entire collection and own a piece of significant history then head to https://www.lloydsauctions.com.au/photo.
To view, and bid on more Lismore images, click here.
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