(Australia, 1878). A carte de visite of the 1878 Australian Team in England (albumen paper photograph, 60x95mm, recently remounted on plain card). The group portrait is reproduced in HILL: Australian Cricketers on Tour, 1868-1974 (page 10). This particular example is a contemporary photograph of another photograph on a captioned mount (identifying both the players and the photographers, the London Stereoscopic and Photographic Company). Apart from a little fading and spotting (confined mainly to one corner), it is in very good condition. This was only the second Australian team to tour England (after the Aborigines in 1868), and it included such legendary players as Charles Bannerman, John Blackham, William Murdoch and Frederick Spofforth. Although no Test was played, the team acquitted itself very well and public interest was aroused to the extent that crowds of up to 20,000 were seen, and the foundations were laid for 'Almost certainly the greatest traditional sporting encounter between two countries in the modern age' (Frith).   $400

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