A case for photographs

The photographic collections held by the University of Melbourne are a rich resource for those interested in the history of photography in Victoria. Notable collections include those of the Grainger Museum, the Ian Potter Museum of Art and the University of Melbourne Archives (UMA), all of which contain works by some of Victoria's best-known photographers. 1 Of particular significance, however, is UMA's small but important collection of daguerreotypes and ambrotypes, 2 the first photographic processes widely practised in Victoria. Often referred to as cased photographs, for the small protective boxes in which they were presented, these processes were in popular use in Victoria from 1845 until the mid-1860s, when albumen print cartes-de-visite began to dominate the photographic trade. One aspect of daguerreotypes and ambrotypes of particular interest is the materials and techniques used in the sealing and casing of the images. Often demonstrating a high level of finish and design, the casing and sealing components form an important part of the overall object: a cased photograph. 3 Although it is usually the image contained within the case that is the primary focus, the case and the sealing components are elements of the work of art that deserve attention in their own right. The UMA selection, although relatively small (three daguerreotypes and 22 ambrotypes), includes representative examples of the various case designs and sealing techniques used during the 1850s and 1860s, thus providing a good overview of the development of this art form. For the examples with a known Victorian provenance, these casing elements can also reveal important information on the origins of the photographic supplies being used locally. This in turn provides us with an insight into the influences of the international photographic trade on early photography in Victoria. UMA's largest single collection of cased images comes from the papers of the Armytage family, wealthy pastoralists who had established themselves in Victoria from the 1830s after moving from van Diemen's Land. They are best known today as the former owners of the historic house 'Como' in South Yarra. Consisting of two daguerreotypes and 16 ambrotypes (a number of which were separated from their cases prior to deposit at UMA), this collection is