Can you help us with photographs?
The Burra History Group has a large collection of digitised photographs which are accessible to researchers. We would like to add to this collection with images from both the distant past and more recent times. We are particularly interested in photographs showing places that have changed or of buildings that no longer exist. Other categories we are seeking would include one off events, such as Copper Festivals, yacht races, or visits from notable people.
There are some strange or unexpected gaps in our collection; for example we have no photographs of Copperhouse or Hampton when people were in residence. Burra North as a whole is poorly represented in our collection.
We are always interested in dramatic events such as floods, fires, snow, and accidents. Events in the last fifty years are not as well represented as you might expect and we would like to add a good representation of this period to our collection.
If you are prepared to send photographs from your collection please go to the Contact page where there is a button to upload images. If possible, please could you send a high resolution copy. For photographs since 1954 for copyright purposes please include permission from the photographer for the Burra History Group to use them in publications. For all photographs please give at least an approximate date when they were taken, if that is possible.
Donations of objects.
The Burra History Group does not have facilities for the storage of either paper/photographic images or other items. It is keen to maintain digital copies but cannot accept actual items for preservation or display.
Archiving Photos
Extracts from this article
Use a Scanner, Not Your Smartphone
For quickly sharing old print photos, maybe you snap an image with your smartphone and post it to Facebook. That's fine in a pinch, but it's not the way to get good quality photos that you can save for life and turn into other projects. You really need [to use] a scanner.
Clean the Scanner Bed
Wipe off your scanner bed with a clean, dry cloth. If it has smudges, start with a slightly damp cloth and use it to clean the glass only. If that doesn't work, put the smallest amount of white vinegar onto the cloth, and try wiping it again. Let it dry completely before putting anything on it. Then, wipe the scanner every so often with a dry cloth between scanning sessions to keep it clean.
Clean Dust Off Photos
While most touch-up work can be done later in an editing program, you're best off getting a good scan the first time around. M. David Stone, author of The Underground Guide to Color Printers, recommends using compressed air to blow off dust.
I used a dust-free lens cloth, like the kind that come with eyeglasses to wipe both the scanner bed and my photos. It worked fine for my purposes.
In any event, don't use paper towels or tissues, as they can deposit more particles on your images. And never never use water or cleaning fluids.
Don't Flatten Creases
If your photos have physical creases, don't try to iron them out, as it will only cause more damage to the image. Gently lay the image flat and scan it as best as you can. You can edit the creases out later, or send the physical photos to a service that can do it for you if you're not adept at photo editing.
Scanning old photos. Scan Mostly in Color
For most photos, you'll want to scan them in color, not black and white or gray scale. Sepia photos need the full color setting enabled on your scanning program. Black and white images will be fine with the color setting, too, unless they have been damaged by ink or tape marks or something else topical. In those kinds of instances, a gray scale scan may actually make it easier to edit the images and remove the marks later.
Resolution and File Format
Scanning at 600dpi to TIFF is ideal for creating archives.
[A TIFF file is large as, unlike a JPEG file, it is not compressed. A compressed a JPEG file progressively loses invaluable data.]
The only probable Copperhouse photograph (other than school groups) is this, which we think was taken circa 1910.
The visit of South Australian Governor Sir Edric Bastyan in November 1962.
Examples of the type of photographs that would be appreciated.
Yacht Race on the Burra Creek of uncertain date, but note the vacant corner block in the background as it was before the erection of the automatic telephone exchange in 1981.
Copper Festival 1972
Copperhouse school of unknown date.
Flooding in Commercial Street on 14 January 1995