1922 At The River's Edge

An atmospheric image of boating on the Yarra River by John B. Eaton, dated 1922, looking east along the Yarra from where Swan Street Bridge now stands.

John B. Eaton was a prolific photographer of landscapes around the beaches of Port Phillip Bay, and the countryside around Melbourne and Victoria.  His work is part of the pictorialism movement, where photographs were to be viewed as works of art, rather than just as images captured. John Bertram Eaton was born in England and migrated to Australia with his family eight years later. His father ran a small gallery and framing shop in Melbourne, where Eaton began work. In the early 1920s his photographs were included in local and international exhibitions and in 1921 he joined the Victorian Pictorial Workers Society.

This is a beautiful rendition of the peaceful Yarra River, known for its morning mists.

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Pictorialist-style image attributed to John B. Eaton (1881-1966). 

Notes from the State Library tell us that this image is "A view from the right bank of the Yarra looking back towards South Yarra and Richmond. A group of three boys, with a man looking on, are launching a boat on a misty morning."

This is a digitally retouched reproduction of the original held by the State Library of Victoria. All prints are reproduced without the HOTPRESS watermarks.

Our team of conservators have worked on a high resolution digital image in order to remove blemishes and artifacts such as stains, mould, scratches and damage caused by the handling of the original. We strive to provide authentic representations of the original work that are suitable for enlargements that retain the tones and character of the original.