Name/Title
STEREOSCOPIC CARDS: THE CHINESE ARCH, SWANSTON STREETEntry/Object ID
2019.4.1Tags
Social Significance, Rarity Significance, Aesthetic Significance, Scientific Significance, Provenance Significance, Historic Significance, Interpretive Significance, Representativeness Significance, Condition SignificanceContext
The Duke and Duchess of York were invited to Australia as part of Australia’s Federation celebrations and to open the first Parliament on 7 May 1901 in Melbourne. These stereographs show a range of celebrations that were held to honour the visit of the Duke and Duchess of York. Building a series of archways on different streets of Melbourne was a project that was funded by the Australian Government to honour this event. The archway in Stereograph 2900 is believed to be the ‘Chinese Citizen’s Arch’. The fund (£800) for constructing the Chinese Citizen’s Arch/ The Chinese Arch was raised by the Chinese community. A banner that says ‘Welcome by The Chinese Citizens’ hangs across the archway in order to send out a welcoming message to the Duke and Duchess on that day.
The Chinese community also raised £200 for the Chinese procession, which is depicted in Stereograph 2845. It is believed that this stereograph depicts the same event that is shown in Stereograph 2900. About 300 Chinese from around Victoria participated in the procession. This stereograph shows a part of the processional troop arriving on Collins Street. All the Chinese participants of the procession were dressed in traditional Chinese costumes with some of them holding processional banners or props.
Artistic or aesthetic value:
These stereographs were taken/ produced by a Clunes-born photographer/ stereographer called George Rose. George is famous for his stereographic journey that explores Australia and different parts of the world.
The stereograph of the Chinese arch provides insights into Chinese ornaments and architecture. The Chinese arch featured the design of a Chinese temple, covered in silk, with Chinese lanterns and other ornaments around it. Even though the arch was not designed and built by the Chinese community, they still assisted in providing the decorative materials. Chinese professional costumes and props are also presented in Stereograph 2845. It depicts the presentation of traditional Chinese processions and the style of traditional Chinese clothing.
These stereographs are particularly significant for their association with the construction of the Chinese archway and a national event in May 1901 that involved the Chinese community. The fund that was raised for the construction of the Chinese arch did not merely honour the visit of the Royal members; it also gathered Chinese people in Australia to celebrate the success of this construction. The procession would be a memorable experience for those who took part in this event or become a story that the participants could share with their descendants. These stereographs have acquired social significance, symbolising the contribution and achievements of the Chinese community in Melbourne/ Victoria.
The donor bought the stereographs from an auction in late 2018/ early 2019. The auction was held by - The Collector (An auction house located at 25 Melbourne Street, Murrumbeena VIC 3163)
The two stereographs produced/ published by Rose’s Stereographic Views will be valuable additions to the series of historical photographs and postcards that are already in the museum’s collection (the ones related to the visit of the Duke, the Chinese Citizen’s Archway and the Chinese Procession happened on Swanston Street and Collins Street in Melbourne, possibly in 1901). The owner of Rose’s Stereographic Views- George Rose was a well-known Clunes-born stereographer. His photographic journey explores both Australia and the world. All his 3-D views were taken from the 1880s to 1920. There is no official number on how many of these stereographs George Rose had produced. Many stereographs depict the celebrations of the Duke of York’s visit to Melbourne (some could be found in the picture collection of the State Library of Victoria and the National Library of Australia), but the ones that depict the Chinese procession and the establishment of the ‘Chinese Citizen’s Arch’ are quite limited.
This donation provides insights into the contribution of the Chinese community in Melbourne and their role in shaping Australia as a multinational nation. The established archway in the CBD area and the happening of the Chinese possession in these stereographs demonstrate the effort the Chinese community had made to uplift or sustain the public profile of Chinese people in Australia. Despite the fact that the Duke and Duchess did not get a chance to watch the procession, it still managed to get a high level of attention from spectators and the media on that day. Therefore a sense of social inclusiveness could be found in these stereographs as Chinese people openly and publicly took part in a national celebration. They demonstrated that the Chinese community was being viewed as a part of the Australian community rather than an isolated one during that period of time.Acquisition
Accession
2019.4Source or Donor
Isaac HermannAcquisition Method
DonationDimensions
Width
10.8 cmLength
18.7 cm