Queen’s Statue Sydney

Superb large c.19th lithograph of the statue of Queen Victoria, Queens Square, Sydney.

The statue is on the intersection of St. James Road, King Street, Macquarie Street and Prince Albert Road.

The statue replaced one burned when the International Exhibition Building was destroyed by fire toward the close of the year 1882. The statue had been a conspicuous feature directly beneath the great dome of the building since its opening in September, 1879. The foundation stone for this statue of Queen Victoria was laid in 1881 to coincide with the royal visit of Prince Edward and Prince George of Wales. This statue, commissioned for the Queen’s Golden Jubilee in 1887, was unveiled by the British colonial governor in front of over fifty thousand spectators. Upon the queen’s death in 1901, the statue served as the focal point for expressions of mourning. It was made by the sculptor,Joseph Edgar Boehm (1834-1890).

This series of views were the first examples of the new printing technique of photo lithography. In this method the plate was photo sensitised and the image was then transferred by photography. The plate then was inked and printed in the traditional way. Rare.
From Picturesque Views of Australia.

References:
Ferguson, J. A. Bibliography of Australia Volumes 1-8, Canberra 1976 1411a, Vol. VI, P.1034.