The Holtermann Collection

This is the southern section of a nine part panorama taken by Beaufoy Merlin from the tower of St Michael and St John's Cathedral on the corner of William and Keppel Streets, Bathurst. It looks across drays lined up at James Cock's Britannia Flour Mill. When sold in 1887, it was said to grind 200,000 bushels [5,400 tonnes] of flour per annum. Although Holtermann appointed Merlin to take photographs for his Exposition when he was in Bathurst in December 1872, Merlin's first images under the new commission were of Orange, which he reached at Christmas. He returned to record Bathurst four months later. According to the Empire 5 April 1873, "Mr Merlin is photographing Bathurst for Holtermann's Exposition'

Digital order no: a2824911

James Jaye, tinsmith and tank maker, his wife Mary and employees are photographed outside his shop and factory, at the corner of George and Howick Streets, Bathurst. Tinsmiths made household utensils by hand, but the trade disappeared with the introduction of cheaper mass produced goods. Jaye's "Live & Let Live" works was diagonally opposite the Club House Hotel, where coaches left for Tambaroora every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, on arrival of the Sydney Mail

Digital order no: a2824888

Beaufoy Merlin's photographic perambulations between Dubbo and Bathurst led him to Icely Street, Carcoar. His photographic van is parked at the foot of the slope opposite the Carcoar Hotel and the Public School. By co-incidence, the Sydney Morning Herald's travelling correspondent saw Merlin and noted on 24 April 1873. "While on my road, close to Orange, I met the equipage of Mr. Beaufoy Merlin, the photographer and collector for Holtermann's intended Grand Exhibition. Mr. Merlin is sparing neither time nor pains, taking views of all places of interest throughout the districts he travels, and obtaining specimens of various industries en route. The object is a noble one, and bids fair to be a grand success."

Digital order no: a2824841

Patrick Glasheen, his wife Margaret and daughters Alice and Ellen are surrounded by locals outside his Golden Age Hotel, Trunkey Creek. The publican was also a principal in the nearby Prima Donna mine. The town was originally called Arthur in 1869 and according to the Sydney Morning Herald 19 April 1873, "Not much praise can be awarded the town for the appearance of its buildings or its streets. The business places and principal edifices are on one side of the road, leaving the lower side almost blank The stumps of various trees, large and small, are still allowed to remain in their native soil unmolested; this, however pretty in effect, too oft impedes the progress of vehicles, equestrians, and pedestrians through the town…there are six good good-sized stores and nine public-houses, closely clustered together; only one place of worship.."

Digital order no: a2824863

In mid 1873, Beaufoy Merlin returned to Sydney to continue photographing the city for Holtermann. The Sydney Morning Herald 2 August 1873 noted, "Mr. Beaufoy Merlin has taken a considerable number of photographic views of Sydney for the first section of 'Holtermann's Intercolonial Exposition.'" This image from Dawes Battery, past Campbell's Wharf to Circular Quay can be dated to early September 1873, as the Haddon Hall (r) from London, is loading for San Francisco at Campbell's wharf. Behind it is Aviemore and the ship in background in front of Customs House is La Hogue. Both Aviemore and La Hogue left for London on 13 September 1873

Digital order no: a2825014

This photograph of waterfront clutter at East Circular Quay in September 1873, is one of the last photographs taken by Beaufoy Merlin. In the foreground, delivery carts queue to board the Milsons Point paddle steamer. The two storey shed in the centre of the image is the Sydney Rowing Club, built in August 1870 and the tower to the right is Fort Macquarie, demolished in 1901 for the electric tram sheds, which were demolished for the Sydney Opera House in 1958. Barely visible in the right background is HMS Clio, which left Sydney in October 1873. Merlin died of pneumonia following influenza at his home in Leichhardt, Sydney on 27 September 1873

Digital order no: a2825071

After the death of Beaufoy Merlin in 1873, Bernhardt Holtermann engaged Merlin's assistant, 24 year-old Charles Bayliss, to continue taking photographs for his planned Exposition. This view of Pall Mall from Hadley's City Family Hotel, Sandhurst [Bendigo, Victoria] was taken in April 1874. Bayliss photographed the town using the Exposition's standard 10x12 inch [25 x 30cm] glass negatives, but for this image used a mammoth camera specially imported by Holtermann which took glass plates measuring 18x22 inches [46 x 56cm]. Bayliss also photographed Ballarat in June 1874, using the mammoth camera to produce a panorama from the town hall clock tower.

Digital order no: a2825413

The outlook from the tower of B.O.Holtermann's mansion on 8 acres [2.5 hectares] at St Leonards was spectacular. This view across Lavender Bay is one section of a 5 foot [1.5 metre] panorama taken by Charles Bayliss with Holtermann's help in 1875. It was a small part of an extensive collection of photographic views of the scenery and public buildings of New South Wales and Victoria, which Holtermann commissioned from Beaufoy Merlin and later, Charles Bayliss. According to the Argus 27 October 1875 they were taken "with the idea of one day making a tour of Europe, and exhibiting a grand panorama of the Auistralian colonies, - especially New South Wales - as a field for emigration."

Digital order no: a2825093