eHive Object Details

Name/TitleHigh Street, Prahran, looking east, c. 1890s -c. 1910

About this objectThis photograph of High Street, Prahran, has been taken from an elevated position, looking east. This image was most probably reproduced from "The History of Prahran, from its first settlement to a City" (1924) by J. B. Cooper, opposite page 108, with a caption dating it in the 1890s.

However, around 1910, Maples furniture and piano warehouse was opened on the north-west corner of Chapel and High streets (not in the photograph). It was a large four-storey building with a corner tower adding another floor. It is possible that the photograph was taken from here, looking east, following High Street, seen from the centre foreground and disappearing into the horizon.

Prahran, an inner suburb of Melbourne, became a popular shopping centre from the 1890s, which rivalled the CBD of Melbourne.

There are various advertisements and shop signs in the photograph, one, "Dixon's O T", the blue and yellow sign in the middle left, also helps date the image. Dixon's O T was a very popular cordial made with chillis that was manufactured from 1905 and into the 1940s. The Sands & McDougall Directory of 1910 records John Dixon & Co, cordial manufacturers, at 193 High Street.

At 181 High Street we find G. Bennett, signwriter, whose advertising sign is just below Dixon's. Above the Dixon sign, further east, a black and white sign reads Kirkwood's. Kirkwood Boot Company was located at 253 High Street.

On the south side of High Street, on the right of the image, is a sign for Thomas M Donaldson & Co, general printers at 164 High Street. A few shops further east is a hard to read brown sign with yellow writing, but Sands & McDougall tells us that this is the premises of D Rosenberg, boot maker, at number 170.

The large brown brick church, on the right of the street, in the middle of the image, is the Church of Christ, located between 222 and 236 High Street. On the premises is a Mrs Tucker who runs the Victorian Protestant Defence Association. The building dates from 1853 and still stands today. The grey building to the right of the church is the Church of Christ Sunday School at 59 Victoria Street.

There are a number of horse-drawn vehicles in the image.

The tree-filled horizon reflects the more residential neighbourhood of Armadale.

One of the many glass slides purchased from retailers or specifically made for illustrated lectures given by Isaac Selby between c. 1930 and c. 1955 to raise money for the Old Pioneers Memorial Fund. Selby gave a lecture on "Old Melbourne, Old Prahran and Toorak" at St. John's Parish Hall, Toorak, in October 1929.

For more information about this image contact Royal Historical Society of Victoria

MakerT.W. Cameron (Firm)

Maker RoleSlide Maker

Measurements8.2 x 8.2 cm

Period1900-1910

Object TypePhotograph

Subject and Association KeywordsSelby, Isaac, 1859-1956

Subject and Association KeywordsPrahran (Vic.)

Subject and Association KeywordsChapel Street (Prahran, Vic.)

Subject and Association KeywordsHigh Street (Prahran, Vic.)

Subject and Association KeywordsChurch of Christ (Prahran, Vic.)

Subject and Association KeywordsManufacturing

Subject and Association KeywordsPanoramic views

Named CollectionImages collection

Object numberGS-BCS-33

Copyright LicenceAll rights reserved