Things exhibition banner

Since its inception photography has been used to document objects made by human beings – things. This simple fact provides the rationale for the exhibition Things: photographing the constructed world.

Photography provides a central means of coming to know the world – documenting, measuring and classifying objects made by humans.  The exhibition deals with the wonderful diversity of objects represented in the National Library of Australia’s photography collection: machinery, monuments, industrial products, domestic objects, bicycles, toys, furniture, and a great deal more from the nineteenth century up to the present day.

Through the works of major Australian photographers, as well as little known or anonymous photographers, this exhibition brings fascinating new imagery into the public domain.   Curated by Helen Ennis, ANU School of Art.