Clyde Street no longer exists. Built in the 1830s, it ran south-west to Darling Harbour from near the current intersection of Argyle Place and Kent Street, Millers Point. This is a view of the street looking south, as it was in around 1901. Predominantly residential, Clyde Street was part of a densely populated neighbourhood of Sydney, in which even dilapidated houses were in great demand due to their proximity to the Darling Harbour wharves and goods yards. After the outbreak of bubonic plague in 1900, it was one of the streets selected for cleansing operations and was demolished by the Sydney Harbour Trust in 1901.

In March 1902, Long and Julian Ashton, together with other artists associated with the Society of Artists, participated in the Exhibition of pictures of old Sydney held in the society's rooms in Pitt Street, Sydney. Of the 145 works on display, many depicted parts of The Rocks area that were about to be demolished. Long’s Clyde Street, and the following two works, were first exhibited in this exhibition (96, 110, 90).

Ashton exhibited two watercolours of Clyde Street (one of the street looking north), and Fred Leist and W.J. Thomas also showed views of the street. But these were not the first images of this narrow street and picturesque buildings: Livingston Hopkins had previously made an etching of the street in 1893.

Photographs were taken by the professional photographer John Degotardi Jr, under the supervision of engineer and state politician George McCredie, for the government's ‘demolition books’, ‘Views taken during cleansing operations. Quarantine area, Sydney 1900’, or ‘the plague albums’.

In Long’s painting of Clyde Street, as in his other ‘Old Sydney’ images, he not only turned to a very different theme from his usual landscapes, but also adopted a more representational approach. He maintained an interest in decorative design, however, by focusing on the strong forms and patterns of the buildings and streets.

He was most likely motivated to paint these views of the fast disappearing buildings because of the possibility of the state government making purchases. Long may also have, for altruistic and conservationist purposes, intended to make a record of buildings that were going to be demolished. Ultimately, as Long had anticipated, a state government selection committee spent £250 on the acquisition of 15 images of ‘Old Sydney’ — ‘to preserve the memory of some of these picturesque historic spots’, because it was known that, within two or three years, they would be demolished. They selected works that were typical of the fast disappearing buildings, ‘those subjects that really are characteristic of the neighbourhood depicted’ (SMH, 27 March 1902). Long’s Clyde Street, and the two following works in this catalogue, were purchased by the New South Wales government from the exhibition and presented to the Art Gallery of New South Wales.

In 1928 Long returned to this subject, using this specific image of Clyde Street as the basis of an etching incorrectly titled by Long as ‘Windmill Street, Old Sydney’.

Clyde Street no longer exists. Built in the 1830s, it ran south-west to Darling Harbour from near the current intersection of Argyle Place and Kent Street, Millers Point. This is a view of the street looking south, as it was in around 1901. Predominantly residential, Clyde Street was part of a densely populated neighbourhood of Sydney, in which even dilapidated houses were in great demand due to their proximity to the Darling Harbour wharves and goods yards. After the outbreak of bubonic plague in 1900, it was one of the streets selected for cleansing operations and was demolished by the Sydney Harbour Trust in 1901.

In March 1902, Long and Julian Ashton, together with other artists associated with the Society of Artists, participated in the Exhibition of pictures of old Sydney held in the society's rooms in Pitt Street, Sydney. Of the 145 works on display, many depicted parts of The Rocks area that were about to be demolished. Long’s Clyde Street, and the following two works, were first exhibited in this exhibition (96, 110, 90).

Ashton exhibited two watercolours of Clyde Street (one of the street looking north), and Fred Leist and W.J. Thomas also showed views of the street. But these were not the first images of this narrow street and picturesque buildings: Livingston Hopkins had previously made an etching of the street in 1893.

Photographs were taken by the professional photographer John Degotardi Jr, under the supervision of engineer and state politician George McCredie, for the government's ‘demolition books’, ‘Views taken during cleansing operations. Quarantine area, Sydney 1900’, or ‘the plague albums’.

In Long’s painting of Clyde Street, as in his other ‘Old Sydney’ images, he not only turned to a very different theme from his usual landscapes, but also adopted a more representational approach. He maintained an interest in decorative design, however, by focusing on the strong forms and patterns of the buildings and streets.

He was most likely motivated to paint these views of the fast disappearing buildings because of the possibility of the state government making purchases. Long may also have, for altruistic and conservationist purposes, intended to make a record of buildings that were going to be demolished. Ultimately, as Long had anticipated, a state government selection committee spent £250 on the acquisition of 15 images of ‘Old Sydney’ — ‘to preserve the memory of some of these picturesque historic spots’, because it was known that, within two or three years, they would be demolished. They selected works that were typical of the fast disappearing buildings, ‘those subjects that really are characteristic of the neighbourhood depicted’ (SMH, 27 March 1902). Long’s Clyde Street, and the two following works in this catalogue, were purchased by the New South Wales government from the exhibition and presented to the Art Gallery of New South Wales.

In 1928 Long returned to this subject, using this specific image of Clyde Street as the basis of an etching incorrectly titled by Long as ‘Windmill Street, Old Sydney’.