Long lost Brisbane photos on display

For decades the rare collection of photographs chronicling turn-of the century Brisbane lay forgotten in cigar boxes under an inner-city house.

Now thirty years after their discovery, the collection has more than doubled with the unexpected unearthing of another box of images in a museum storage facility.

Amateur photographer Alfred Elliott chronicled Brisbane between 1890 and 1940, capturing significant moments in the city's history, including the Duke and Duchess of York's visit in 1901 and the farewell of the troops aboard SS Cornwall from Pinkenba headed for South Africa in 1899.

Since his photos were found under a Red Hill house in 1983, the collection was thought to comprise 285 glass plate negatives.

However, another neglected cigar box with more than 400 film negatives was uncovered at the Museum of Brisbane's storage facility last year.

Museum of Brisbane Director Peter Denham said the collection was an exceptional record of one man's perspective of Brisbane at a very exciting time.

"These unseen photographs offer a unique view of Brisbane at a significant turning point - the city's population was booming, grand civic structures were erected and huge social change was occurring," he said.

"The exhibition wonderfully captures how much our city has changed, and I think it will encourage people to reflect on their own perceptions of Brisbane."

The exhibition opens next week and will run until August.