Customer Reviews

Old Fremantle: Photographs 1850-1950

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Many non-Australians won't even have heard of Fremantle. Freo to the locals of Perth. Dowson must have expended much sweat in compiling this collection of old photos of the port of Perth. Especially impressive for the earliest photos around 1850. Daguerrotypes had only been recently invented. And Perth and Freo had so few people in the 1850s, that it is remarkable that any photos were taken, had survived, and been tracked down by the author.

It may not be readily apparent from the book, but Freo and Perth were different places, separated by undeveloped bushland, even up till World War 2. Most of the background and buildings in the photos are now absent. Except perhaps for a few buildings in the heart of Freo.

The book is also accurate in portraying the dominant Anglo-Irish background of Freo's inhabitants. Wasn't much diversity back then. The photos end in 1950. Just as a wave of immigration from southern and eastern Europe were to commence. Then, later, from Asia. Giving current Freo a strong multiethnic flavour. (Especially Italian.)

I gave this book five stars because I am the author. Looking at the fact that the book is rating just under the 3 millionth most popular book on Amazon, it seems like it needs some help. The problem with photographic books on small cities (Fremantle has only 30,000 people) is that it is very hard to get people outside the city interested. Pity, because any lover of old photographs would enjoy the 250 approx images in the book dating from 1850 to 1950. My favourite one is a 1919 one of an open truck full of cauliflowers, all stacked on top of each other with no net or cover. The truck has solid tyres and the driver (sitting calmly at the wheel in a coat and tie) has brought his load into town over rough limestone roads.

Cameras 100 years ago often produced better images than the technological marvels of today. This book was produced regardless of cost to the highest standards, though I did endure a struggle to get the publisher not to charge me an extra $30,000 for the special 170gsm cream paper I chose. The book won the Western Australian Premier's Prize for non fiction and the first edition sold out in weeks. What you are buying now is the revised edition, with the errors removed and 8 extra pages put in in a fit of generosity. Most of the errors were tiny ones, but there was a real beauty- one photo featured a hotel which is actually in Geraldton, not Fremantle. That was dumb, but then some clown had written Fremantle all over the bottom of the photograph and the hotel plans checked out.

The book is big and heavy- don't drop it on your toes. But still, I like it. I hope you do.

This is an exceptional book. It is a fine work of art as well as a serious photographic history of a "British empire" seaport. I would recommend it to anyone who is fascinated by the lives of people long gone and who also wants to marvel at some wonderful photography. Many thanks to the author, John Dowson, for providing such a treasure.