AGM, with Guest Speaker:
Patrick Dodd
“The Holtermann Collection”
In 1951, Keast Burke, editor of Australasian Photo Review, enquired with the Mitchell Library about Bernhardt Holtermann, a name associated with several nineteenth century panoramas he’d seen in the Library. It transpired that Holtermann’s daughter-in-law, Mary Holtermann, lived in Chatswood. Recovered from her garden shed later that year were 3500 glass plate negatives in cedar boxes and smaller ones in lacquered tins, all wonderfully undisturbed for nearly 80 years.
The negatives were donated to the Mitchell Library in 1952 by Bernhardt Holtermann's grandson, Bernhard, and became known as the Holtermann Collection. The find proved to be the most important photographic documentation of goldfields life in Australia, and was included on the UNESCO Australian Memory of the World register in May 2013.
Join us for what is sure to be a very informed talk from Ku-ring-gai Historical Society member Patrick Dodd. Patrick is the Founder and President of the Macquarie Society in Australia; and a Volunteer Guide at the Australian National Maritime Museum on HM Bark Endeavour. He is also a Volunteer Guide and Public Speaker at the State Library of NSW on History and Heritage tours.
As always, please keep an eye on our website in case of any last-minute changes.
The venue is Gordon Library Meeting Room No. 1, in the Old Gordon Public School, which adjoins the Gordon Library, 799 Pacific Highway, Gordon (corner Pacific Highway and Park Avenue).
It’s just a 5-minute walk from Gordon Station.
For a map and parking information, see our Contact page.
