Capturing Change: photography and the modern city
Date and time
Location
Customs House Library - L1 Barnet Long Room
31 Alfred Street
Sydney, NSW 2000
Australia
Join historian Laila Ellmoos to find out how photography was used to document changes to Sydney’s built form.
About this event
Join historian Laila Ellmoos and investigate how photography was used to document changes to Sydney in the first decades of the 20th century. Sydney was on the verge of great change in 1900. The city’s built landscape was rapidly being urban
ised with, modern buildings improvements to sanitation and new infrastructure. Old buildings were being demolished with rapid pace, leading to a sense among some that the city’s history was being lost. The council began hiring professional photographers to document this profound transformation. 'Demolition Books’ is now a key photographic collection held in the City of Sydney Archives, comprising almost 5,000 photographs and associated glass plate negatives.
Like the council, many individuals and government authorities used the visual medium of photography to document urban change. In this talk, Laila will show and discuss images from the 'Demolition Books' series and compare them with contemporary photographs that show Sydney’s transition to a modern city.
Laila Ellmoos is a professional historian who is passionate about communicating history to a wide range of audiences through exhibitions, talks and the written word. She is a historian at the City of Sydney, and a longstanding member of the Professional Historians Association of NSW & ACT.
Developing Sydney exhibition
To explore the City of Sydney’s Archives and History resources, go to City of Sydney Archives.
Booking options
Attend the event at Customs House Library – Covid safety
TThe health and safety of everyone at City of Sydney venues is our top priority. If you plan to visit, you must be familiar with the procedures in place and follow Covid-safe rules during your visit. See our website for the most up-to-date entry requirements and what to expect when visiting.
This event will be Auslan interpreted.
Attend the event online
To join the session live on Zoom, choose this option when you book. Please read your booking confirmation carefully to join the event on Zoom. You’ll need to install Zoom free on your computer or device to take part.
This event will be Auslan interpreted. To access the Auslan interpreting, you will need to use Zoom on a computer.
