Early Sydney Postcards Book 1, 2 and 3 hits us with a diarrhoea of 128 tear-out post cards of views in and around Sydney from 1880 to 1936. There does not seem to be any plan behind the three books, and the reproduction leaves a lot to be desired. A sepia duotone would have done these historical visual gems the reproduction justice they deserve. Another sign of sloppiness is that no real attempt has been made to accurately date the photographs. With a series of this kind which you would not expect to be used solely for tearing out and sending, the historical reference aspect could have been an important one had the dates been traced.

The views were edited by Bill Tyrrell from a collection of about 8000 original glass negatives (some full plate: eight-and-a-half by six-and-a-half inches, others, half plates: six inches by four inches). They have been held by his family for about forty years and are normally available to the public.

Even if you are not a Sydneysider I would recommend at least one of these books especially if you write a lot of small messages: it’s boring to send a letter – do it with a post card. For around sixteen cents a pop you can even afford to answer the taxman with them.