Latest News
Snapshots of Bohemian Melbourne Online
11 December 2008
A collection of Albert Tucker's historic snapshots of bohemian Melbourne in the 1940s can now be viewed online through the State Library of Victoria catalogue.
Barbara Tucker, the artist's widow, recently donated the original photographs to the Library and the Heide Museum of Modern Art. Barbara is pleased the priceless images can now be enjoyed by the public after decades of being stored in boxes.
Though not a professional photographer, Albert Tucker's candid shots of friends and family give a rare insight into the political climate and lifestyle of the Melbourne art world in the 40s. His popular images have been reproduced endlessly in books and articles, and sold in limited edition art prints.
Included in the collection is a well-known photograph of Heide Circle members Sidney Nolan, Joy Hester (Tucker's first wife), and Sunday and John Reed on holiday at Point Lonsdale. Also included are another two lesser-known photos of this scene.
A number of pictures show wartime marches in the city, with one march featuring large banners of Soviet leaders Lenin and Stalin, Australia's allies at the time.
Other images include early photographs of the Eltham artist colony Montsalvat, and shots of Tucker's works in progress taken in his Collins Street studio.
Around three-quarters of the prints donated by Barbara Tucker to the Library and the Heide Museum have never been publicly displayed.
More than 380 of Albert Tucker's photographs can currently be viewed through the State Library's online catalogue, with more being converted into digital form and published online soon.
Over 200,000 items in the Library's Pictures Collection are available online through the Library's digitisation program, which preserves precious images and makes them widely accessible.
View Albert Tucker's collection of prints online >
|
