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Marvellous Melbourne

April 11, 2024

Marvellous Melbourne: Queen City of the South is a 1910 documentary of Melbourne that takes the audience through the hotspots of its central business district and surrounding features. Published in 1910, the film stands as the oldest surviving documentary of the city.[2] It is currently housed at the National Film & Sound Archive in Pyrmont, Sydney. At the time of filming, Melbourne was the federal capital of Australia, until the development of Canberra in 1927.

Marvellous Melbourne
Directed byCharles Cozens Spencer
Produced byCharles Cozens Spencer
CinematographyErnest Higgins
Distributed byWests Pictures[1]
Release date
1910
Running time
15 mins
CountryAustralia
LanguagesSilent film
English intertitles

Overview edit

 
Melbourne Town Hall, 1910
 
Cable Tram passing the Southwest corner of Collins and King streets in 1890–1900
 
St Paul's Cathedral from Flinders Street in 2009
 
Queen Victoria Memorial, 2013

Marvellous Melbourne: Queen City of the South is a black and white silent documentary film about the city of Melbourne in 1910. The film is shot in an observation style, where each scene is divided by a title screen that introduces the next well-known metropolitan Melbourne street and/or building. Such iconography and landmarks that are included in the film are: Swanston Street, Melbourne Town Hall, St Kilda Road, St Paul's Cathedral, Bourke Street, the Central Post Office, Elizabeth Street, the Royal Exhibition Building, Collins Street, scenes on the Yarra River and of people playing Australian rules football. Developed under Spencer's Pictures, the label was renowned for "natural, artistic and realistic display," [3] of the subjects and scenes they were filming.

The film's locations were shot by Spencer and Higgins over the previous year (1909) to the film's release.[4] The film continues to be the oldest surviving film of the city of Melbourne.[5] Produced under Spencer's Pictures, it was likely shot by Ernest Higgins, the main camera operator for the company at the time.[5] This is contested as in the film's credits it attributed cinematography to "C. Spencer" not Higgins, although unlikely Spencer was the only cinematographer for the entirety of the film. The film debuted at the Spencer Wirth's Olympia theatre on 22 November 1910.[3] The theatre that debuted the film was not affiliated with Spencer's Pictures production.

Title edit

The title, Marvellous Melbourne, although used by Spencer in the 1910 documentary, was not coined by the filmmaker but in a different context entirely some 30 years earlier. The term Marvellous Melbourne was a cultural product of 19th-century Melburnians' pride in living in the "booming"[6] city of Melbourne. In 1885, George Augustus Sala wrote that he considered the city of Melbourne to "eclipse other colonial cities in terms of prestige"[7] and thus felt it compelling to describe Melbourne as "marvellous".

In 1889, Sala's work would be put into a "melodrama burlesque",[4] co-written by Alfred Dampier, J.H Wrangham and Thomas Somers. The term, Marvellous Melbourne, shifted meaning in the late 19th century, turning satirical and contradicting the "booming"[6] it once was. An economic depression would wear thin on the city and the term would be used as a sarcastic insult to the English class system that left many Melburnians unemployed and impoverished. Spencer's use of the slogan for the film, Marvellous Melbourne, saw a positive cultural shift in the terms of its connotation but would continue through various cultural and academic references in such light.

Cinematography edit

The cinematography of the film Marvellous Melbourne, Queen City of the South, was considered intriguing and groundbreaking by audiences at the time as such angles were not recorded/broadcast before. These included, birds-eye-view-like angles of the city that were created through vantage points of the city, as such technology had not been created yet. "Point of view" angles were created in "fast" motion as the equipment was situated on the front of the tram going through various Melbourne streets. This scene is also referred to as a "phantom ride,"[5] as it seems as though the camera is floating through space and not held by any machinery or camera equipment but almost 'flying' through a space.

These both provided a new perspective in filmmaking and cinematography, without the development of expensive and innovative film equipment, which is all thanks to the city's tram network. An article published in The Age on 22 November 1910, showed the films advertising for an opening screening at Hoyt's Olympia theatre under the "Amusements" section.[3] In terms of the physical preservation of the film, its nitrate base means it ages faster and is more fragile to the elements, it is being stored in a highly controlled environment at the National Film & Sound Archive exhibit.[8] It has also since been digitised and is available on the National Film & Sound Archive site in 'clip' forms.

Audience edit

At the time of filming Marvellous Melbourne (1909–1910), Melbourne was Australia's interim Capital and the most popular entry route from England to Australia.[4] This put Melbourne on the global stage for Australia and Marvellous Melbourne was an aid in promoting the city to travelogue audiences. This would also mean that England tourists or patriated citizens would have a cultural and economic influence over the city. Therefore, Melbourne had developed as a city that would reflect and instil European architecture through its development. The landmarks and buildings that were filmed for Marvellous Melbourne were specifically selected for their European Design as Spencer and Higgins wanted to draw in "regal types"[4] and "aspirational-regal types"[4] as their target audience.

Through selecting this audience carefully through specific sites, scenes and buildings, it would ensure greater economic return for the filmmakers and city of Melbourne as these subclasses were affluent and willing to spend money on travel through influence. Higgins hoped that the audience would experience its iconography through the magic of cinema, describing such experiences as a "thrill."[4] At the beginning of the 20th century there was a shift in the representation of women in cinema, Higgins and Spencer chose to depict the 'modern women' within Marvellous Melbourne, with the intention to appeal to female audiences. This is particularly apparent during the scenes of the football match where only female spectators were filmed, despite the conflicting reality of gendered football audiences.

Audience perception edit

Audience members that saw the film initially had mixed reactions. In particular, one man's experience whilst watching the film in Perth resulted in a state of delusion.[5] He had reportedly fallen asleep during the film, only to be woken by the Peanut Boy after several attempts; he had thought he had been transported to Melbourne's Flinders Street.[5] This was due to the film's ground breaking cinematography that such audiences had not experienced before.

Ernst Higgins created point-of-view scenes that made the viewer feel as though they were a part of that time and place. More specifically, the scene of St Kilda street that puts the audience in the position moving through the street. Therefore, with the absence of the tram in the frame, it gives the illusion that the audience has agency over the direction of the filming of the shot. This adverse reaction to the moving picture was not uncommon for audiences. L'Arrivée d'un train en gare de La Ciotat received a similar reaction to the showing of a locomotive on screen with the illusion that the train was going to hit the audience members, noting it caused "terror, even panic."[9] Furthermore, a Sydney Morning Herald article in 1910 depicted the film as an "education"[10] was published in on Monday 14 February 1910.

Representation edit

Marvellous Melbourne: Queen City of the South was developed to put the city on display and show the most prestigious and impressive sites of the city. At the time of the film's production and showing, there was no other film that depicted the city in such a way. Both through representation and film techniques, the audience was exposed to something never seen before. The film represents various middle/upper class Melburnians in various social settings.

Charles Cozens Spencer, ensured the representation within Marvellous Melbourne was of the middle/upper class as he wanted his viewing parties and audience to reflect the same.[4] Groups and classes of Melbourne's society that were not represented include Melbourne's Asian population and the lower class.[4] It, however, does show the "modern women in movement with the city,"[4] that can be aligned to that of changing gender dynamics of the early 20th century. This changing of gender dynamics is shown through women walking the streets of Melbourne unaccompanied by a male and socialising with other women. The intended audience for the film was at the promising market of city travelogues that would in turn improve perceptions and tourism for the city of Melbourne.[4]

The film also shows scenes of a men's football game. Higgins also films young females in various locations, but specifically in the Collins Street scene. This intention was to provide insight to the pastime "doing the block"[4] which is seen as ritualistic promenading for young socialites of the metropolitan scene. This representation of promenading and navigating city traffic as shot by Higgins, was significant and deliberate in broadcasting the authentic experience of Melbourne city life which is dodging the new industrial world.[4]

Moreover, the depiction of women throughout the film represented Melbourne as a modern city.[4] During the scene of a football match, women are the audience members at the forefront of the scene, with men in the background. Throughout the film there is no representation nor recognition of Melbourne's Indigenous population. There is no acknowledgement of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin nation, who are the original inhabitants of the land that Marvellous Melbourne was shot across.

Locations edit

Marvellous Melbourne: Queen City of the South, explores the following sites/buildings/scenes: (in order of appearance)

Charles Cozens Spencer edit

Charles Cozens Spencer migrated from New York in 1903, residing in Sydney.[6] Spencer's Films opened a theatre in 1913, three years after Marvellous Melbourne's debut. Located at 100 St Kilda Road, now stands the State Theatre that was first opened in 1984. Spencer aimed films towards the middle-and-working-class audiences through soundtrack and advertising.[11] He was also known for his production of bushranger films like Captain Midnight - The Bush King and The Life and Adventures of John Vane, The Notorious Australian Bushranger. He began his career in the film industry by screening movies. Starting In 1923 he had moved with his wife Senora Spencer to a Ranch where seven years later he would drown himself after fatally shooting his store man and wounding another on the 10f September 1930, leaving his estate to the "Orphanages of Sydney".[11]

Transport edit

 
Electric tram in Melbourne in 1917

The film acts as a glimpse to the past and the infrastructure that helped it move into the metropolis it is today. Throughout the film, various forms of public and private transport are shown. Particularly the rail system that was developed 20 years before the film's premiere, enabled Ernst Higgins to create the point-of-view shots. With the establishment of electric trams by the North Melbourne Electric Tramway & Lighting Company, electric trams were operating by 1906 spreading across the city by 1910.[12] At the time of filming, Melbourne Tramway & Omnibus Company owned the monopoly over the tram network of the city.[4] Other forms of public transport shown in Marvellous Melbourne include the trains of Richmond station. As shown in the scenes of Richmond station, steam locomotive were the main choice of railway locomotives for the city's rail network.

References edit

  1. ^ "Advertising". Sydney Morning Herald. National Library of Australia. 14 February 1910. p. 2. Retrieved 4 September 2013.
  2. ^ "Advertising". The Argus. Melbourne: National Library of Australia. 23 November 1910. p. 16. Retrieved 4 September 2013.
  3. ^ a b c "Advertising". The Age. 22 November 1910. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Gaunson, Stephen (2 January 2014). "Marvellous Melbourne: Lady filmgoers, Spencer's Pictures and Cozens Spencer". Early Popular Visual Culture. 12 (1): 22–36. doi:10.1080/17460654.2013.872049. ISSN 1746-0654. S2CID 191497959.
  5. ^ a b c d e Passi, Federico (2013). "The uncanny pleasures of the urban spectacle: Marvellous Melbourne- Queen city of the south (1910)". Third Annual London Film and Media Conference: 443–454.
  6. ^ a b c Betrand, Ira (2005). Spencer, Cozens. Abingdon, Oxfordshire: Taylor & Francis Ltd. p. 862.
  7. ^ Ryan, Delyse (2003). "'Does all Melbourne smell like this?': the Colonial Metropolis in Marvellous Melbourne". Australian Literary Studies. 21: 81 – via gale.
  8. ^ De Souza, Penny (2011). "Marvellous Melbourne: Queen City of the South". National Film & Sound Archive. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
  9. ^ Casiraghi, Charlotte; Maggiori, Robert (2019), "Furcht", Archipel der Leidenschaften, Verlag C.H.BECK oHG, pp. 184–191, doi:10.17104/9783406741500-184, ISBN 978-3-406-74150-0, S2CID 239205633, retrieved 31 May 2021
  10. ^ "Advertising". Sydney Morning Herald. 14 February 1910. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
  11. ^ a b Collins, Delyse (1990). "Spencer, Cosens". Australian Dictionary of Biography. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University.
  12. ^ Pierce, Miles (2 January 2019). "Melbourne's cable trams - A major nineteenth century engineering achievement". The International Journal for the History of Engineering & Technology. 89 (1–2): 188–215. doi:10.1080/17581206.2019.1669364. ISSN 1758-1206. S2CID 221115198.

Further reading edit

  • Gaunson, Stephen (2014). "Marvellous Melbourne: Lady filmgoers, Spencer's Pictures and Cozens Spencer". Early Popular Visual Culture. 12 (1): 22–36. doi:10.1080/17460654.2013.872049. S2CID 191497959.

External links edit

April 11, 2024
marvellous, melbourne, queen, city, south, 1910, documentary, melbourne, that, takes, audience, through, hotspots, central, business, district, surrounding, features, published, 1910, film, stands, oldest, surviving, documentary, city, currently, housed, natio. Marvellous Melbourne Queen City of the South is a 1910 documentary of Melbourne that takes the audience through the hotspots of its central business district and surrounding features Published in 1910 the film stands as the oldest surviving documentary of the city 2 It is currently housed at the National Film amp Sound Archive in Pyrmont Sydney At the time of filming Melbourne was the federal capital of Australia until the development of Canberra in 1927 Marvellous MelbourneDirected byCharles Cozens SpencerProduced byCharles Cozens SpencerCinematographyErnest HigginsDistributed byWests Pictures 1 Release date1910Running time15 minsCountryAustraliaLanguagesSilent filmEnglish intertitles Contents 1 Overview 2 Title 3 Cinematography 4 Audience 5 Audience perception 6 Representation 7 Locations 8 Charles Cozens Spencer 9 Transport 10 References 11 Further reading 12 External linksOverview edit nbsp Melbourne Town Hall 1910 nbsp Cable Tram passing the Southwest corner of Collins and King streets in 1890 1900 nbsp St Paul s Cathedral from Flinders Street in 2009 nbsp Queen Victoria Memorial 2013Marvellous Melbourne Queen City of the South is a black and white silent documentary film about the city of Melbourne in 1910 The film is shot in an observation style where each scene is divided by a title screen that introduces the next well known metropolitan Melbourne street and or building Such iconography and landmarks that are included in the film are Swanston Street Melbourne Town Hall St Kilda Road St Paul s Cathedral Bourke Street the Central Post Office Elizabeth Street the Royal Exhibition Building Collins Street scenes on the Yarra River and of people playing Australian rules football Developed under Spencer s Pictures the label was renowned for natural artistic and realistic display 3 of the subjects and scenes they were filming The film s locations were shot by Spencer and Higgins over the previous year 1909 to the film s release 4 The film continues to be the oldest surviving film of the city of Melbourne 5 Produced under Spencer s Pictures it was likely shot by Ernest Higgins the main camera operator for the company at the time 5 This is contested as in the film s credits it attributed cinematography to C Spencer not Higgins although unlikely Spencer was the only cinematographer for the entirety of the film The film debuted at the Spencer Wirth s Olympia theatre on 22 November 1910 3 The theatre that debuted the film was not affiliated with Spencer s Pictures production Title editThe title Marvellous Melbourne although used by Spencer in the 1910 documentary was not coined by the filmmaker but in a different context entirely some 30 years earlier The term Marvellous Melbourne was a cultural product of 19th century Melburnians pride in living in the booming 6 city of Melbourne In 1885 George Augustus Sala wrote that he considered the city of Melbourne to eclipse other colonial cities in terms of prestige 7 and thus felt it compelling to describe Melbourne as marvellous In 1889 Sala s work would be put into a melodrama burlesque 4 co written by Alfred Dampier J H Wrangham and Thomas Somers The term Marvellous Melbourne shifted meaning in the late 19th century turning satirical and contradicting the booming 6 it once was An economic depression would wear thin on the city and the term would be used as a sarcastic insult to the English class system that left many Melburnians unemployed and impoverished Spencer s use of the slogan for the film Marvellous Melbourne saw a positive cultural shift in the terms of its connotation but would continue through various cultural and academic references in such light Cinematography editThe cinematography of the film Marvellous Melbourne Queen City of the South was considered intriguing and groundbreaking by audiences at the time as such angles were not recorded broadcast before These included birds eye view like angles of the city that were created through vantage points of the city as such technology had not been created yet Point of view angles were created in fast motion as the equipment was situated on the front of the tram going through various Melbourne streets This scene is also referred to as a phantom ride 5 as it seems as though the camera is floating through space and not held by any machinery or camera equipment but almost flying through a space These both provided a new perspective in filmmaking and cinematography without the development of expensive and innovative film equipment which is all thanks to the city s tram network An article published in The Age on 22 November 1910 showed the films advertising for an opening screening at Hoyt s Olympia theatre under the Amusements section 3 In terms of the physical preservation of the film its nitrate base means it ages faster and is more fragile to the elements it is being stored in a highly controlled environment at the National Film amp Sound Archive exhibit 8 It has also since been digitised and is available on the National Film amp Sound Archive site in clip forms Audience editAt the time of filming Marvellous Melbourne 1909 1910 Melbourne was Australia s interim Capital and the most popular entry route from England to Australia 4 This put Melbourne on the global stage for Australia and Marvellous Melbourne was an aid in promoting the city to travelogue audiences This would also mean that England tourists or patriated citizens would have a cultural and economic influence over the city Therefore Melbourne had developed as a city that would reflect and instil European architecture through its development The landmarks and buildings that were filmed for Marvellous Melbourne were specifically selected for their European Design as Spencer and Higgins wanted to draw in regal types 4 and aspirational regal types 4 as their target audience Through selecting this audience carefully through specific sites scenes and buildings it would ensure greater economic return for the filmmakers and city of Melbourne as these subclasses were affluent and willing to spend money on travel through influence Higgins hoped that the audience would experience its iconography through the magic of cinema describing such experiences as a thrill 4 At the beginning of the 20th century there was a shift in the representation of women in cinema Higgins and Spencer chose to depict the modern women within Marvellous Melbourne with the intention to appeal to female audiences This is particularly apparent during the scenes of the football match where only female spectators were filmed despite the conflicting reality of gendered football audiences Audience perception editAudience members that saw the film initially had mixed reactions In particular one man s experience whilst watching the film in Perth resulted in a state of delusion 5 He had reportedly fallen asleep during the film only to be woken by the Peanut Boy after several attempts he had thought he had been transported to Melbourne s Flinders Street 5 This was due to the film s ground breaking cinematography that such audiences had not experienced before Ernst Higgins created point of view scenes that made the viewer feel as though they were a part of that time and place More specifically the scene of St Kilda street that puts the audience in the position moving through the street Therefore with the absence of the tram in the frame it gives the illusion that the audience has agency over the direction of the filming of the shot This adverse reaction to the moving picture was not uncommon for audiences L Arrivee d un train en gare de La Ciotat received a similar reaction to the showing of a locomotive on screen with the illusion that the train was going to hit the audience members noting it caused terror even panic 9 Furthermore a Sydney Morning Herald article in 1910 depicted the film as an education 10 was published in on Monday 14 February 1910 Representation editMarvellous Melbourne Queen City of the South was developed to put the city on display and show the most prestigious and impressive sites of the city At the time of the film s production and showing there was no other film that depicted the city in such a way Both through representation and film techniques the audience was exposed to something never seen before The film represents various middle upper class Melburnians in various social settings Charles Cozens Spencer ensured the representation within Marvellous Melbourne was of the middle upper class as he wanted his viewing parties and audience to reflect the same 4 Groups and classes of Melbourne s society that were not represented include Melbourne s Asian population and the lower class 4 It however does show the modern women in movement with the city 4 that can be aligned to that of changing gender dynamics of the early 20th century This changing of gender dynamics is shown through women walking the streets of Melbourne unaccompanied by a male and socialising with other women The intended audience for the film was at the promising market of city travelogues that would in turn improve perceptions and tourism for the city of Melbourne 4 The film also shows scenes of a men s football game Higgins also films young females in various locations but specifically in the Collins Street scene This intention was to provide insight to the pastime doing the block 4 which is seen as ritualistic promenading for young socialites of the metropolitan scene This representation of promenading and navigating city traffic as shot by Higgins was significant and deliberate in broadcasting the authentic experience of Melbourne city life which is dodging the new industrial world 4 Moreover the depiction of women throughout the film represented Melbourne as a modern city 4 During the scene of a football match women are the audience members at the forefront of the scene with men in the background Throughout the film there is no representation nor recognition of Melbourne s Indigenous population There is no acknowledgement of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin nation who are the original inhabitants of the land that Marvellous Melbourne was shot across Locations editMarvellous Melbourne Queen City of the South explores the following sites buildings scenes in order of appearance Richmond station St Kilda Road Melbourne Town Hall St Paul s Cathedral Collins Street Treasury Building Bourke Street Parliament House Melbourne Central Post Office Elizabeth Street Royal Exhibition Building Swanston Street Government House Queen Victoria Memorial Melbourne Museum National Gallery of Victoria The Henley Regatta on the Yarra River Agricultural Show Grounds Victoria Barracks Australian rules football match Boating on the Yarra River shot from Studley Park Flinders Street station Princes Bridge Ships on the Yarra River Port MelbourneCharles Cozens Spencer editCharles Cozens Spencer migrated from New York in 1903 residing in Sydney 6 Spencer s Films opened a theatre in 1913 three years after Marvellous Melbourne s debut Located at 100 St Kilda Road now stands the State Theatre that was first opened in 1984 Spencer aimed films towards the middle and working class audiences through soundtrack and advertising 11 He was also known for his production of bushranger films like Captain Midnight The Bush King and The Life and Adventures of John Vane The Notorious Australian Bushranger He began his career in the film industry by screening movies Starting In 1923 he had moved with his wife Senora Spencer to a Ranch where seven years later he would drown himself after fatally shooting his store man and wounding another on the 10f September 1930 leaving his estate to the Orphanages of Sydney 11 Transport edit nbsp Electric tram in Melbourne in 1917The film acts as a glimpse to the past and the infrastructure that helped it move into the metropolis it is today Throughout the film various forms of public and private transport are shown Particularly the rail system that was developed 20 years before the film s premiere enabled Ernst Higgins to create the point of view shots With the establishment of electric trams by the North Melbourne Electric Tramway amp Lighting Company electric trams were operating by 1906 spreading across the city by 1910 12 At the time of filming Melbourne Tramway amp Omnibus Company owned the monopoly over the tram network of the city 4 Other forms of public transport shown in Marvellous Melbourne include the trains of Richmond station As shown in the scenes of Richmond station steam locomotive were the main choice of railway locomotives for the city s rail network References edit Advertising Sydney Morning Herald National Library of Australia 14 February 1910 p 2 Retrieved 4 September 2013 Advertising The Argus Melbourne National Library of Australia 23 November 1910 p 16 Retrieved 4 September 2013 a b c Advertising The Age 22 November 1910 Retrieved 22 April 2021 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Gaunson Stephen 2 January 2014 Marvellous Melbourne Lady filmgoers Spencer s Pictures and Cozens Spencer Early Popular Visual Culture 12 1 22 36 doi 10 1080 17460654 2013 872049 ISSN 1746 0654 S2CID 191497959 a b c d e Passi Federico 2013 The uncanny pleasures of the urban spectacle Marvellous Melbourne Queen city of the south 1910 Third Annual London Film and Media Conference 443 454 a b c Betrand Ira 2005 Spencer Cozens Abingdon Oxfordshire Taylor amp Francis Ltd p 862 Ryan Delyse 2003 Does all Melbourne smell like this the Colonial Metropolis in Marvellous Melbourne Australian Literary Studies 21 81 via gale De Souza Penny 2011 Marvellous Melbourne Queen City of the South National Film amp Sound Archive Retrieved 18 April 2021 Casiraghi Charlotte Maggiori Robert 2019 Furcht Archipel der Leidenschaften Verlag C H BECK oHG pp 184 191 doi 10 17104 9783406741500 184 ISBN 978 3 406 74150 0 S2CID 239205633 retrieved 31 May 2021 Advertising Sydney Morning Herald 14 February 1910 Retrieved 22 April 2021 a b Collins Delyse 1990 Spencer Cosens Australian Dictionary of Biography National Centre of Biography Australian National University Pierce Miles 2 January 2019 Melbourne s cable trams A major nineteenth century engineering achievement The International Journal for the History of Engineering amp Technology 89 1 2 188 215 doi 10 1080 17581206 2019 1669364 ISSN 1758 1206 S2CID 221115198 Further reading editGaunson Stephen 2014 Marvellous Melbourne Lady filmgoers Spencer s Pictures and Cozens Spencer Early Popular Visual Culture 12 1 22 36 doi 10 1080 17460654 2013 872049 S2CID 191497959 External links editComplete copy of film at Internet Archive Marvellous Melbourne at Australian Screen Online Marvellous Melbourne at Senses of Cinema Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Marvellous Melbourne amp oldid 1207556565, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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