Highlights of the Pictorial Collection

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While the Pictorial Collection holds many collections of photographs the following have been highlighted as "gems" of the collection. Other collections or individual photographs are increasingly being digitised and can be found in the State Library Catalogue. However, the bulk of the collection can still only be accessed through a card catalogue, indexed by locality, name of person or subject. The level of indexing varies depending on how much is known about each photograph. To protect the original photographs, a large proportion of the collection has been photocopied and bound into a series of volumes for viewing.

• Passey Collection of Photographs, 1848-1933 (bulk 1900-1910)
  The Passey collection contains a wide range of images of Western Australia. Photographs of places include Perth, Fremantle, Albany, Coolgardie, Kalgoorlie, Bunbury, Beverley, Katanning, Wungong, Northam, Darlington, Kanowna, Day Dawn, Cue, Geraldton, Boorabbin and Gingin. Subjects photographed include the 1906 Royal Agricultural Show, the 1907 Horticultural Society Show, the 1907 Western Australian Poultry and Dog Association Annual Show, the 1907 William Sandover & Co building fire, the interior of the Government Printing Office, Hyland's Circus, the 1905 Fremantle Municipal Tramway & Electric Lighting Board opening, the 1901 Royal visit, railway stations, hotels, official buildings, ships, farm scenes, bush scenes and some portraits.
  
  
• Stuart Gore Collection - Prints
  The Stuart Gore collection consists of a series of photographs taken by Stuart Gore in the 1920s-1940s. The photographs consist of aerial and other views of Perth, children, the goldfields, the 10th Light Horse, the 1929 Centenary celebrations and the Army, Navy and Air Force.
  
  
• Dease Studios Collection of Photographs, 1900-1927
  This is a collection of glass photographic negatives from the Dease Studios in Perth taken 1900-1927. They consist mainly of studio portraits of Western Australians, including soldiers (World War I).
  
  
• Illustrations Ltd Collection
  Illustrations Ltd specialised in commercial photography and catalogue work for local businesses. The collection consists of about 5,000 photographs of buildings, the interiors of buildings, motor cars, machinery, furniture, window displays, etc. taken 1902-1958.
  
  
• Government Photographer Collection
  This is a huge collection of about 88,000 photographs taken by the Government Photographer 1920-1984. It chronicles the development of Western Australia in that period.
  
  
• Ali Sharr Collection
  Francis Aubie (Ali) Sharr was the first State Librarian of Western Australia (1953-1976). The collection consists of about 1,000 photographs of buildings and architectural details of buildings around Western Australia taken 1956-1979.
  
  
• The Swan Brewery Collection
  This collection has over 4,000 photographs of the Swan Brewery, hotels throughout Western Australia, other breweries in Western Australia, events sponsored by Swan Brewery, etc. taken 1894-1979.
  
  
• J.J. Dwyer Collection
  This collection of 578 photographs chiefly chronicles Dwyer's journeys overseas and in the Eastern States. It also has a series of images of the Eastern Goldfields, mine workings in Kalgoorlie and Aboriginal people in Kalgoorlie. The photographs were taken 1900-1928.
  
  
• Millars Timber and Trading Co. Collection
  This collection of 1,776 photographs mainly chronicles the timber industry in Western Australia, Millars Timber and Trading Co., mills and mill towns, timber displays, people, transport and machinery. The photographs were taken 1920s-1970s.
  
  
• West Australian Newspapers Collection
  This collection of 1,160 photographs was taken by the staff of Western Australian Newspapers and consists mainly of images of places, people and events in Western Australia c1957-1964.
  
  
• Department of Industrial Development Photograph Collection
  This collection of 965 photographs was taken 1966-1974 and chiefly covers Western Australian industrial development projects.
  
  
• The Westrail Collection
  This collection of about 17,000 photographs was taken by Westrail mainly in the 1960s and 1970s and chiefly covers locomotives (steam and diesel), rolling stock, trains, trams and buses, stations, yards, workshops, tracks, bridges and other structures, personnel, events and projects.
  
  
• E.L. Mitchell Studios Collection of Photographs, 1890s-1920s
  Ernest Lund Mitchell was born in the United Kingdom in 1876 and migrated to Australia in 1899. He set up a photographic studio in Perth in 1910 at 264 Murray Street. He died in Perth in 1959. The collection consists of 640 photographs and covers Perth buildings, business premises and window displays, country towns, ships, motor vehicles, plants, aerial views of Perth and special events.
  
  
• Badjaling/Winmar Collection of Photographs of Badjaling Mission
  This collection of 304 photographs was taken in the period 1920s-1970s and represents an Indigenous perspective on life at Badjaling Mission over fifty years. This is one of very few collections of photographs taken by an Indigenous person.
  
  
• Pearce Collection of Photographs, 1930s to 1950s
  Violet Pearce was a member of the Van Raalte Club in Perth. This collection consists of 145 photographs and covers various ships, Fremantle Harbour and wharf, views of Perth in the 1950s, St Margaret's Anglican Church in Nedlands, the University of Western Australia, boats on the Swan, views of Claremont, Violet Pearce and various portraits.