This photograph was taken from Fort Denison, situated on a small island in Sydney Harbour previously called Pinchgut as a result of convicts being left there on minimum rations. This photograph has been taken from the top of the ‘Martello’ tower on the fort and while we can see three 20 cm cannons and what appears to be a 25 cm canon the main subject of the photograph is the Garden Palace we can see on the horizon on the right.
The angled detail of the foreground appears to have been quite deliberately juxtaposed against the ethereal haze surrounding the ‘Garden Palace’ for the accompanying letterpress states,
‘As seen for Fort Denison the picturesque appearance of the Garden Palace becomes considerably increased, imparting a somewhat oriental aspect to the scene, which invariably awakens feelings of wonder and admiration on the part of visitors arriving in Sydney Harbor, to whom it seems like a veritable dream of fairyland.’
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Post by Geoff Barker, Assistant Curator
