Sydney’s George Street Markets once stood on the site now occupied by the Queen Victoria building, (QVB). At the time that this photograph was taken, photography of interiors was constrained by lighting conditions and it was the presence of skylights or large windows that often determined the production of an image. Even in the available light, many of the people in this scene are blurred due to the length of the exposure that was required.
Photograph by Henry King. Tyrrell Collection
No known copyright restrictions
Post by Kathy Hackett, Photo Librarian
Before markets V1.0, it was even the site of one of early Sydney’s first cemeteries. When development reached that part of the city the bodies were exhumed and moved to another site.
I have not seen any photos of the site as a cemetery, although pictures/drawings do exist.
Your point about natural lighting requirements is a good one. I never thought about it that way, but it also accounts for similar atmospheric photographs of the inside of woolsheds circa then.