WESTERN AUSTRALIA 2 x RARE ORIGINAL 1890s PHOTO YALGOO POST OFFICE, GOLDFIELDS

Two original Australian gelatin silver print photographs dating to the late 1890s, both in identical format 150 x 105 mm, unmounted. One is captioned on the back: "POST OFFICE AT YALGOO" and has a sequence number "42". It is a fantastic view of an incredible makeshift structure which must have been taken around 1895-96, soon after gold was discovered in the area and before permanent buildings had been erected. The second photo came from the same source and has the same sequence number on the back.

I believe it shows the interior of the booking office at the Y. Algoo Railway Station, opened in 1896. On the back wall there is a railway timetable for the Eastern Lines. No photographer indicated on either photo.

These are very rare items of Western Australian social and photographic history. We have not been able to trace other examples of them.

The outdoors image is in very good condition; bottom edge has a slight curl which could be flattened out if desired. The interior shot is a copy print made around the late 1890s of a slightly damaged print (notice the loss at the corners of the original).

Coolgardie kalgoorlie boulder geraldton cue perth fremantle.

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