Rare c1859 Brisbane Queen Street Original Albumen Photo Southerden Store QLD For Sale

⚠️ IMPORTANT CONDITION NOTE BEFORE BUYING:Please review the listing photos carefully under zoom. This is a genuine 19th-century albumen print showing heavy authentic aging, including extensive surface micro-cracking (craquelure) and paper bubbling. It has been permanently cut down/trimmed from its original margins and has a modern mat board glued directly onto the front face. Sold strictly AS-IS for historical display.
# Rare Vintage 19th Century Photo Print: Queen Street, Brisbane (c. 1859)Up for sale is an incredibly scarce, authentic vintage photographic print of **Queen Street in Brisbane, Queensland**, documenting the settlement circa **1859**. This historic image captures the intersection of Queen and Edward Streets looking south, showcasing a foundational era of early colonial Australia right around the time Queensland separated from New South Wales.## Provenance & History
* **Source:** Sourced directly from a recent **estate sale**.
* **Subject:** Early view of Queen Street featuring the prominent landmark **E.B. Southerden Drapery Stores** (which was tragically destroyed a few years later in the Great Fire of April 1864).
* **Medium:** Authentic historical silver-gelatin or albumen darkroom photograph print. **Please note:** This is a genuine old chemical photo print, *not* a modern digital inkjet, photogravure, or book-plate lithograph reproduction.
* **Estimated Era of Printing:** Late 19th Century to Very Early 1900s— likely printed from the surviving original mid-19th-century glass plate negative.## Condition Report & Physical Details
* **Physical Alterations:** The original photograph sheet **has been cut down** from its original margins. A clean, modern white window matting frame has been placed over the front of the print for presentation.
* **Markings:** There are **no written marks, stamps, signatures, or pencil notations** anywhere on the front or back of the sheet.
* **Emulsion & Surface:** Exhibits a beautiful semi-gloss eggshell luster under direct light. Features visible microscopic surface crazing (crackle) and fine dimpling in the organic binder layer—classic hallmarks of genuine antique darkroom pieces.
* **Silvering / Mirroring:** Notable metallic "silver mirroring" is present in the heavy dark shadow tones of the main brick drapery building, verifying its silver-based darkroom origin and extensive age.
* **Paper & Aging:** Elegant, natural age-toning and mild mottling are visible on the fibrous backing paper.## Terms of Sale
* **Offered "Buy As Is":** This piece is being sold in its current, found condition as described and pictured. Please review the detailed high-resolution raking-light photos carefully to inspect the unique surface textures, edge cuts, and characteristics. Priced accordingly as not in original condition. ## Shipping & Handling
Shipped securely flat with heavy-duty rigid cardboard reinforcement to ensure absolute protection during transit.