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Brisbane in 1888. Early aerial view of Brisbane

Brisbane in 1888. Early aerial view of Brisbane

by Clarson, William

Brisbane panorama from lithograph by WA Clarson. Reproduction print.

William Alfred Clarson (1852-1906), was the first Secretary of the Art Society of New South Wales from 1880 (when Julian Rossi Ashton was the Society’s President).

Large aerial view of Brisbane, capital city of Queensland, Australia - from south Brisbane to the city centre across the bridge, with the main wharves in the foreground of the Brisbane River. Previous Brisbane panoramas were from Wickham Terrace in 1866, 1874 and 1885. This is the only aerial view and the most comprehensive printed image of colonial Brisbane.

Clarson’s view was supposedly from a balloon above the south bank of the river, but as such a newsworthy event was not reported when the scene first appeared on 30th August 1888 in the Supplement to The Illustrated Sydney News, it is more likely that he climbed the bell-tower of St John’s Pro-Cathedral for the view.

To image border measures 60 x 41cm (approximately 23.5 x 16 inches). Paper size is 70 x 61cm (17.5 x 24 inches).

Stock Number: HE202Price: $55.00

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