[photo: View of Melbourne’s casts in 1872 (1 of 2 albumen silver photographs): detail (SLV H96.160/1789)] Introduction to Melbourne’s former plaster cast collection The production of replicas of famous statues, already widespread in the ancient Roman period, became a global phenomenon after 1850, with the availability of cheaper, good quality plaster casts. These were produced
[above: Reproduction of the list in AR 1870-71, pp.28-29, detailing Murphy’s donation] As mentioned, many of the casts originally selected for their general aesthetic and/or historical value to the Melbourne Public Library obviously came to be regarded increasingly as Gallery School assets, as the century progressed. Indeed, several groups of casts were clearly intended
[photo: Queen’s Reading Room, MPL, looking north (SLV H4740, accredited to Sears’ Studios, c.1910)] The initial group of casts ordered for Melbourne from Brucciani included “48 Busts of remarkable persons selected not for their artistic value, but for the celebrity of the persons represented”: see letter of 26 October 1860 from R.Chester Waters to Redmond