Australian flaneur Arthur K. Syer took these candid photographs of street scenes in Sydney, Australia towards the end of 19th Century. We see deliveries, barrow shopping, queues at Circular Quay, shipping, street cleaning, children playing, farming, scenes at horse races and farming scenes. Syer’s low angle photographs were taken surreptitiously, using a ‘detective camera’. Such cameras, sometimes concealed in parcels or portmanteau, were made possible with the invention of the dry plate in 1880.
![](https://flashbak.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/no-title-from-sydney-ca-1885-1890-photographed-by-arthur-k-syer_5784088582_o-1200x948.jpg)
Sydney c.1895 – Arthur K. Syer
![](https://flashbak.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/people-at-circular-quay-sydney-ca-1885-1890-photographed-by-arthur-k-syer_5775144488_o-2-1200x919.jpg)
Circular Quay, Sydney c.1897 – Arthur K. Syer
Arthur K. Syer was brother of the artist Walter Syer, (aka the illustrator ‘Cue’) and a friend of Phil May, the English cartoonist who for three years (1886–1889) worked for the The Sydney Bulletin. Arthur supplied May with snapshots photographs of everyday people. May used the photographs to add authenticity to his cartoons.
![](https://flashbak.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/street-scene-from-sydney-ca-1885-1890-photographed-by-arthur-k-syer_5784088616_o-2-1200x912.jpg)
Sydney c.1897 – Arthur K. Syer
![](https://flashbak.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/street-scene-from-sydney-ca-1885-1890-photographed-by-arthur-k-syer_5784088158_o-1200x781.jpg)
Sydney c. 1897, by Arhur K. Syer
![](https://flashbak.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/advertising-hoarding-for-mclean-rigg-from-sydney-ca-1885-1890-photographed-by-arthur-k-syer_5784088804_o-1200x874.jpg)
Advertising hoarding for McLean-Rigg – Sydney c. 1897, by Arhur K. Syer
![](https://flashbak.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/manly-ferry-wharf-from-sydney-ca-1885-1890-photographed-by-arthur-k-syer_5783533927_o-2-1200x897.jpg)
Manly Ferry, Sydney c. 1897, by Arhur K. Syer
![](https://flashbak.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/gentleman-paying-street-merchant-ca-1880s-1900_17694303829_o-1200x863.jpg)
Gentleman paying street merchant Sydney c. 1897, by Arhur K. Syer
![](https://flashbak.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/governor-bourke-hotel-from-sydney-ca-1885-1890-photographed-by-arthur-k-syer_5783534009_o-1-1200x917.jpg)
Governor Bourke Hotel, Sydney c. 1897 photo by Arthur K. Syer
![](https://flashbak.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/girl-with-pet-duck-on-lead-from-sydney-ca-1885-1890-photographed-by-arthur-k-syer_5783533525_o-1200x864.jpg)
Girl with pet duck on lead, Sydney c. 1897 by Arthur C. Syer
![](https://flashbak.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/king-and-elizabeth-street-corner-from-sydney-1890-photographed-by-arthur-k-syer_5774624295_o-1200x913.jpg)
King and Elizabeth Street corner, Sydney c. 1897 by Arthur C. Syer
![](https://flashbak.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/advertising-hoarding-from-sydney-ca-1885-1890-photographed-by-arthur-k-syer_5775161888_o-1200x1560.jpg)
Advertising hoarding, Sydney c. 1897 by Arthur C. Syer
![](https://flashbak.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/street-scene-from-sydney-ca-1885-1890-photographed-by-arthur-k-syer_5783507459_o-1200x892.jpg)
Sydney c. 1897 by Arthur C. Syer
![](https://flashbak.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/street-scene-from-sydney-ca-1885-1890-photographed-by-arthur-k-syer_5784061770_o-1200x1538.jpg)
Sydney c. 1897 by Arthur C. Syer
![](https://flashbak.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/group-of-people-from-sydney-ca-1885-1890-photographed-by-arthur-k-syer_5774623925_o-1200x894.jpg)
Sydney c. 1897 by Arthur C. Syer
![](https://flashbak.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/street-scene-from-sydney-ca-1885-1890-photographed-by-arthur-k-syer_5774623661_o-1200x934.jpg)
Sydney c. 1897 by Arthur C. Syer
![](https://flashbak.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/children-in-street-from-sydney-ca-1885-1890-photographed-by-arthur-k-syer_5775161974_o-1200x923.jpg)
Sydney c. 1897 by Arthur C. Syer
![](https://flashbak.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/5784087826_aaa24541f3_o-1200x917.jpg)
Sydney c. 1897 by Arthur C. Syer
![](https://flashbak.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/no-title-from-sydney-ca-1885-1890-photographed-by-arthur-k-syer_5784088582_o-1-1200x948.jpg)
Sydney c. 1897 by Arthur C. Syer
![](https://flashbak.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/group-of-people-from-sydney-ca-1885-1890-photographed-by-arthur-k-syer_5783519975_o-1200x1659.jpg)
Sydney c. 1897 by Arthur C. Syer
![](https://flashbak.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/children-in-street-from-sydney-ca-1885-1890-photographed-by-arthur-k-syer_5784088134_o-1200x878.jpg)
Sydney c. 1897 by Arthur C. Syer
![](https://flashbak.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/farm-scene-from-sydney-ca-1885-1890-photographed-by-arthur-k-syer_5783533485_o-1200x894.jpg)
Farming scene Sydney c. 1897 by Arthur C. Syer
![](https://flashbak.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/street-scene-from-sydney-ca-1885-1890-photographed-by-arthur-k-syer_5784061636_o-1200x864.jpg)
Sydney c. 1897 by Arthur C. Syer
![](https://flashbak.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/an-aviary-from-sydney-ca-1885-1890-photographed-by-arthur-k-syer_5774624189_o-1200x1103.jpg)
An aviary in Sydney c. 1897 by Arthur C. Syer
![](https://flashbak.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/no-title-from-sydney-ca-1885-1890-photographed-by-arthur-k-syer_5784088582_o-1-1200x948.jpg)
Sydney c. 1897 by Arthur C. Syer
![](https://flashbak.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/a-chimney-sweep-walking-across-pyrmont-bridge-sydney-ca-1885-1890-photographed-by-arthur-k-syer_5775144524_o-1200x1443.jpg)
Chimney sweep in Sydney c. 1897 by Arthur C. Syer
![](https://flashbak.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/people-at-circular-quay-sydney-ca-1885-1890-photographed-by-arthur-k-syer_5775144488_o-1200x919.jpg)
Circular Quay, Sydney c. 1897 by Arthur C. Syer
![](https://flashbak.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/street-scene-phillip-street-1885-90-sydney-ca-1885-1890-photographed-by-arthur-k-syer_5775144498_o-1200x822.jpg)
Phillip Street, Sydney c. 1897 by Arthur C. Syer
![](https://flashbak.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/small-band-playing-in-street-from-sydney-1890-photographed-by-arthur-k-syer_5784048894_o-1200x899.jpg)
Small band playing in street, Sydney c. 1897 by Arthur C. Syer
![](https://flashbak.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/street-scene-from-sydney-ca-1885-1890-photographed-by-arthur-k-syer_5784088616_o-1200x912.jpg)
Sydney c. 1897 by Arthur C. Syer
Via: State Library of New South Wales
Would you like to support Flashbak?
Please consider making a donation to our site. We don't want to rely on ads to bring you the best of visual culture. You can also support us by signing up to our Mailing List. And you can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. For great art and culture delivered to your door, visit our shop.