Victorian Archives calling for Melbourne street photos
February 17, 2023
The Victorian Archives Centre (VAC) is calling on street photographers to submit images of Melbourne for an upcoming exhibition, Collective City.
An image of Royal Melbourne Hospital in the 1950s, highlighting the long journey the man on crutches had to make to get to his appointment, in an era before accessible parking permits, and wheelchair ramps etc. Source: prov.gov.au
The exhibition will open on July 27 at VAC Gallery in North Melbourne, and image submissions are open until April 11.
‘We’re looking for photographs taken in public spaces that capture real moments (not posed or computer-manipulated images). They might be of people, animals, or empty spaces, but regardless of their subject, they all provide a question or comment on humanity or an insight into the everyday lives of our communities.’
The exhibition will launch prior to Open House Melbourne Weekend, with organisers aiming to explore ‘at ways people connect and work together in Victoria’s urban and suburban environments. We’re also examining the divisions created by inequity of access to services and public spaces.’
Photographers are invited to submit up to three images that have been captured from 2021. Successful applicants will not be renumerated by VAC and prints are not for sale via the gallery, however photographers may collect them free of charge after the exhibition closes.
The VAC Gallery has hosted similar exhibitions featuring historical and contemporary pictures of Victoria. Over the years work has been shown by the likes of Mark Forbes, Andrew Tan, Ilana Rose, Cathrin Plunkett, Andrea Esposito, Christopher Hopkins, Wayne Quilliam and others.
Here are two photos from the Moving Melbourne exhibition.
Holidaymakers: The 1960s were an era of leisurely paced travel, where passengers regularly chose ships, rather than aircraft to take them to their international destination. Passenger liners varied greatly in price and comfort, from the workhorse migrant liners to luxury cruisers. The passengers in this image are enjoying the facilities aboard the Sitmar flagship TSS Fairsky, which brought British immigrants to Australia throughout the 1960s and 1970s and began purely recreational services in 1962. This photograph was used in promotional material advertising Sitmar’s luxury cruises to Victorian holiday makers. Source: prov.vic.gov.au
Woman In Black: A stream of commuters make their way up an old timber footbridge despite Footscray Council’s repeated requests to the Railway Department to replace it, arguing the narrow and out of date ramps were often an obstruction for users. Many complained that this was inadequate for a station where the volume of traffic was second only to that of Flinders Street. The stark contrast of the lone woman in black making her own way away from the bustling crowd draws the eye, and highlights the many women in the scene who are travelling professionals in their workwear and carrying suitcases. From the 1920s, commerce and public administration were predominantly female occupations, clerical work in particular. Despite their professional contribution, their wages, on average were only 54% of the basic male wage and their participation in the workforce was considered secondary to their domestic responsibilities. Source: prov.vic.gov.au.
So Sally Capp can see what a clean city looks like. No beggar’s