Monthly Archive for April, 2010

Page 2 of 3

Rubik’s cube

Published by Kathy Hackett on April 20, 2010 0 Comments Tags: , .

My favourite part of the lead-up to the current 80’s exhibition was the Rubik’s cube event. The cubes were styled into specific patterns by enthusiastic volunteers and were eventually put together to become the sign at the entrance of the exhibition. The event was one of the happiest I have seen with all the participants smiling as they worked with the cubes remarkable logic. This image of Ankur Chaudhary solving a Rubik’s cube doesn’t do justice to the speed and dexterity with which he could manipulate this retro toy. Ankur kindly spent time teaching the other participants the tricks of the trade. Like a magician his fingers spun and the vibrant patterns took shape.

Post by Emma Bjorndahl

Photography by Emma Bjorndahl
©All rights reserved.

The artist’s hand

Published by Kathy Hackett on April 19, 2010 0 Comments Tags: .

This photograph of Korean Australian ceramic artist Won-Seok Kim was taken at his Mangrove Mountain studio in 2000. Photographer Sue Stafford has used shallow depth of field to focus the viewer’s attention on Won-Seok’s slip-covered hand and the pot he is turning, conveying a sense of the artist at one with his work.

Won-Seok’s introduction to ceramics came from the master potter Jeongha Lee more than 40 years ago when he visited Icheon in Gyeonggi province, Korea, where court ceramic ware was produced during the Joseon dynasty. As a high school student, he instantly fell in love with the traditional process of throwing pots on a wheel and kiln firing. He then decided to study ceramic art more systemically and graduated from Hannam University with Bachelor of Arts. In 1988 Won-Seok moved to Australia and continued his studies at the University of Sydney.

Won-Seok remains loyal to the traditional concept of being a master potter or jang-in . Jang-in devote most of their time to mastering potter’s skills. Sometimes, the process is more important than the product. In making ceramics, jang-in first learn to understand the nature of the material. Won-Seok is not interested in creating different forms but instead, each time, strives to achieve a perfect form.

For more about Won-Seok Kim, and to see his unique method of kneading clay see the Photo of the Day post from March 29, 2010.

Thanks to Min-Jung Kim, Curator of Asian Decorative Arts and Design, for information about Won-Seok Kim.

Photography by Sue Stafford
©All rights reserved.

Retro games

Published by Kathy Hackett on April 18, 2010 0 Comments Tags: , .

I took this photograph soon after The 80’s are back exhibition first opened. I was consistently amazed by the magnetic pull of the retro video games display. It is interactive and definitely one of the prime attractions as evidenced by the amount of people lined up to have a go. Irrespective of age or gender, they lined up like moths to a flame. I didn’t wholly understand the appeal until I sat down one day at lunchtime and played. It felt delightfully sinful and I found myself absorbed in the soothing clicks and tinny music. I was therefore unsurprised to find this boy playing avidly despite having a broken arm. As proof that retro video game appeal is intergenerational, both boys were completely immersed in games that were invented well before 3D graphics and x-box. Meanwhile behind them the queue was growing.

Photography by Emma Bjorndahl
© All rights reserved
Post by Emma Bjorndahl

Trainspotting photo competition winners announced

Published by Paula Bray on April 17, 2010 2 Comments

Overall winner
The Pit

This image above by David Hill from the United Kingdom is the overall winner of our Trainspotting competition for his photo, ‘The Pit’, of North China’s Zhalai Nouer coal mine taken in December 2006. This wonderful image was selected by a panel of judges for capturing a moment in time. The judges comments are–

an atmospheric image that captures a moment in time. There is a sense of wonderment about this shot and a sense of beauty amongst the grit and dirt of the coal mine. There is a distinctive quality about the smoke and steam which is highlighted by the light behind.

The photo is a bird’s eye view of several locomotives and their signature plumes of steam rising high above the horizon over the vast open-cast coal mine. David Hill took the photo in December 2006 and has by chance captured a piece of history because from August 2009 trucks have replaced the steam locos in hauling coal out of the mine pit. Congratulations to David on his winning entry.

Winner steam category
kraussman_zimbabwe1_sml

The winner of the steam category is Adrian Roberts from Sydney for his photo of the Rhodesian Railways (now Zimbabwe) with dawn light catching a 15th class Garratt. The judges comments are–

there was a broad diversity of images and there were many strong contenders in this category. Steam lends itself to beautiful photographs and these entries are no exception.

Winner diesel and electric train category
Sunset over the Victorian Railways

Mark Morris from Melbourne is the winner of the diesel and electric train category for his photo ‘Sunset over the Victorian Railways’ of the Victorian Railways Diesel Y159 waiting in the yards as the sun sets in the west and the moon rises in the cloudy east. The judges comments are

there is a clever balance of light which brings to life this diesel locomotive. The cloud formation in the western sky reflected in the window is cleverly contrasted against the encroaching darkness in the east.

Winner night shot category
IMG_3619

Robert Parnell from Sydney is the winner of the night shot category for his photo that captures a long exposure of an LED signal shining in the cool winter air, with an approaching freight train, Stuart Town, in New South Wales. the judges comments are –

a great long exposure taken at night capturing the atmosperic red lights resulting in a simple yet beautiful composition

Winner trainspotting category
Waiting at Wattamondara

Dominik Giemza from Marrickville, Sydney is the winner of the trainspotting category for his photo ‘Waiting at Wattamondara’, which features two trainspotters observing a Lachlan Valley Railway Steam Special in the far distance. The judges comments are–

a well balanced photograph that captures a great sense of warmth, purpose and anticipation.

Winner railway infrastructure category
Washington D.C. Metro

Travis Aberle from Kansas, USA is the winner of the railway infrastructure category for his photo ‘Washington DC Metro’ taken between boarding/unboarding in the underground metro. The judges comments are–

a beautiful image, wonderfully composed. Stunning combination of elements were used to create a distinctive and artful composition.

Winner railway worker category
13

Andrew Gorrie from New Zealand, winner of the railway workers category for his photo of a worker doing an engine check in the morning at the Silverstream Railway in Wellington, New Zealand. The judges comments are–

this image has a strong tonal quality which focuses on the silhouette of a lone worker servicing a locomotive.

Congratulations to all our winners. There are a number of highly commended images that will be featured in our upcoming exhibition, which I will announce soon, plus two more winning categories that include a ‘People’s choice award’ and a ‘Powerhouse Museum photographers choice award’ that will happen during our exhibition.

I will be sharing many of the amazing photographs that have been submitted to our Flickr group here on Photo of the Day over the coming weeks.

Many thanks to all the photographers for the great response to our new photography competion. We have really enjoyed looking through the amazing images and the judges certainly had a difficult time selecting winners.

Images are © All rights reserved with the individual photographers

The Snowy River at Jindabyne: once a mighty river

Published by Paula Bray on April 16, 2010 1 Comment

When this photo was taken over 100 years ago, the meltwaters of the NSW snowfields still flowed east to the coast via the Snowy River. In the 1950s the river was turned west to irrigate food-growing areas inland. As a bonus, the flowing water generated electricity. The Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Scheme was one of Australia’s greatest engineering triumphs but it was a disaster for ecosystems and people living on the river east of Jindabyne.

When the river was dammed, it became a weed-infested trickle. Protests raged for years, leading to a plan in 2001 to return 27% of the river’s original flow.

Photograph by Charles Kerry Studio
No known copyright restrictions
Post by Sandra McEwen, Principal Curator

Petty’s Hotel

Published by Kathy Hackett on April 15, 2010 2 Comments Tags: , .

It is the resort of the most distinguished visitors to Sydney, including English and French Noblemen…It is also the rendévous for all the wealthy squatters of new South Wales, Victoria, new Zealand, and the other colonies…[I]t contains about forty bedrooms, several private apartments, bath rooms, billiard room &c. The situation is central and has an almost suburban quietude. The tastefully laid out garden in front…gives it all the appearance of a gentleman’s mansion.

S.T. Leigh and Co., The Handbook of Sydney and Suburbs, F. Cunningham, Sydney, 1883, p.38

Petty’s Hotel, at No. 1 York Street, Sydney, opened in 1842 and advertised itself as conveniently located to the Botanic Gardens, Theatres, Post and Telegraph Office and the Termini of Foreign and Intercolonial Steamship Lines. The hotel’s verandahs and balconies were ‘charming retreats’ from which guests could take in views of the city.

In keeping with the hotel’s high standards, an 1853 advertisement for two ‘active’ waiters in The Sydney Morning Herald stated:

To persons who thoroughly understand their business, and can produce testimonials of sobriety and capability, the highest wages will be given.

Along with a wide range of distinguished real-life guests, Petty’s also accommodated the eponymous female character in Peter Carey’s 1988 Booker Prize winning novel, Oscar and Lucinda. Lucinda arrives at the hotel with her suitcase, places a cauliflower on the reception desk and asks if there is a reliable library nearby. Although she has recently inherited a fortune, Lucinda is so dishevelled that the staff first think she has the wrong address.

After more than a century as a hotel, Petty’s closed on the first of September, 1950, having been sold to the Red Cross. The following day The Sydney Morning Herald ran a report on the last night at a much loved Sydney institution.

The building, fronting York, Clarence and Jamison Streets, was previously the residence of Presbyterian minister, John Dunmore Lang, who supervised the construction of the first Scot’s Church on Church Hill. Lang sold his home to another hotel-keeper before it was bought by Thomas Petty in 1836. Following two and a half decades of use by the Red Cross, the elegant colonial structure was finally demolished in 1976.

Photography by Henry King, Tyrrell Collection.
No known copyright restrictions

Farm machinery at the Show

Published by Kathy Hackett on April 14, 2010 0 Comments Tags: , , .

In Sydney the Royal Easter Show has always been about bringing the country to the city with the grand parade, produce displays, equestrian events and pavilions of sheep, cattle, horses, pigs and fowls. Agricultural manufacturers mounted impressive displays like this one by the Clyde Engineering Co. of Granville in Sydney to encourage farmers to buy their products. This photograph was taken at Moore Park between 1898 and 1909 and shows the Clyde pavilion, two compound steam traction engines by John Fowler & Co. Ltd of Leeds, England, and Clyde’s own chaffcutters, hay baler, land roller, horseworks and windmill.

Later, when mechanised machines were displayed at the Show more than one young child would have clambered up onto one of the many tractors on display and fiddled and jiggled with every knob, lever or button within reach only to be terrified (or exhilarated) when it roared into life. (You can tell I have a soft spot for the Show and farm machinery in particular). Today old machines and implements like the ones shown in this photo, are preserved in rural museums while enthusiasts restore and run steam traction and portable engines, oil engines and tractors at weekend rallies all over Australia.

One of the projects I’m working on with the Museum’s Regional Services section is to create an illustrated database of agricultural machinery manufacturers which will be put on the Museum’s web site. It’ll help museums, enthusiasts, researchers, students and heritage consultants to identify and research farm machinery in Australia whether made here or overseas. If you want to hear more about this project, I’ll be talking about it in the Powerhouse Museum’s tent at the 2010 Steamfest, at Maitland, NSW, on the 17th April.

Post by Margaret Simpson, Curator Science, Technology and Industry
Photographer unknown, Clyde Engineering Pty Ltd, Australia.
No known copyright restrictions

El Alamein fountain

Published by Paula Bray on April 13, 2010 1 Comment

This image showing the El Alamein fountain located in Kings Cross comes from the David Mist archive collection. David photographed this fountain for inclusion in his book ‘Sydney, A Book of Photographs’ that was published in 1969. Our collection system has this image as
Negative number 3271. Photograph from negative appears on page 117 of the book with the caption:

Kings Cross has reputation for high life maintained by its variety of strip palaces and nightclubs. Restaurants with an international flavour abound, and visitors keep the streets full and the coffee houses open into the early hours of the morning.

Photography by David Mist
© All rights reserved

Military Colonnade

Published by Paula Bray on April 12, 2010 0 Comments

On 1 January Sydney celebrated Australia becoming a Federation by hosting a grand procession through its streets. Erected at the intersection of College Street and Liverpool Street was the Military Colonnade. This structure although referred to by some as the ‘Comrades Overseas Arch’ was not technically an arch at all. The Government architect Walter Vernon designed this to be the structure through which the procession passed and it consisted of twelve Corinthian columns on moulded pedestals.

No known copyright restrictions
Post by Geoff Barker, Assistant Curator

Barringun irrigation farm an oasis in the desert

Published by Paula Bray on April 11, 2010 0 Comments Tags: , , .

Artesian water is the primary source of water in north-western NSW. Irrigation farms and orchards sprang up around bores in the 1890s.

Corn, grapes and citrus fruit were all grown around Barringun Artesian Bore, 128km north of Bourke. The farm supplied people in Barringun, which was once a thriving border town. It was a stopover for travellers between western NSW and the Darling Downs of Queensland, so there was a ready market for produce.

Photograph by Charles Kerry Studio
No known copyright restrictions
Post by Sandra McEwen, Principal Curator