An Everyday Transience: The Urban Imaginary of Goldfields Photographer John Joseph Dwyer

Based in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, during the late 19th and early 20th century, John Joseph Dwyer captured the heart of Australia's Goldfields with his photography. His outstanding images comprised street and industrial photography, as well as underground and night-time photography, taking advantage of recent innovations in artificial lighting. Dwyer's work reflected approaches and viewpoints from across the globe, the developments and innovations in photography of that time, and the amazing changes that Kalgoorlie experienced at the turn of the 20th century. An Everyday Transience revisits Australia's Goldfields with over 150 of Dwyer's photographs, coupled with six essays and a short story by prize-winning author, Joan London. The book reclaims an integral part of Western Australia's mining history that was discovered following Dwyer's death and the subsequent sale of his studio. This is the first time many of these photographs have been made accessible to the public.

Praise for An Everyday Transience:

"This… is a book that defies genre. As the lines blur between fiction, fact and visual imagery, it provides a remarkable insight into the rapid growth of a remarkable town."

JOURNAL OF AUSTRALIAN COLONIAL HISTORY

"An Everyday Transience is an attractive and well-designed book, reflecting the high production values of UWA Publishing."

HISTORY AUSTRALIA