There are numerous early views taken of the Moon so identification of orphan photographs like this one without supporting documentation can be difficult. (1.) Orientation of astro-photographic images can also be problematic, with published examples often re-orientated to be more aesthetically pleasing. However, this image seems to be consistent with an 1873 view taken in Australia by Joseph Turner using the Great Melbourne Telescope. (erected at Melbourne Observatory in 1869) An original example held by the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa in Wellington describes this as a  “View of the moon nine days into a cycle.” From the Great Melbourne Telescope web page, we learn:

Photographic equipment for the GMT arrived in 1872, and an elevated stage was erected at the northern end of the GMT House, so that the telescope could be lowered and glass plates inserted near the end of the telescope tube.

Superb photos were taken of the Moon in 1872, and prints were sent immediately to British astronomers to show the GMT’s sharpness and powers. The Royal Astronomical Society in London proudly hung the photo in its meeting rooms.

Joseph Turner: 1825-1883

This Scottish/Australian photographer was born in Kirkconnel, Dumfriesshire, Scotland (Steinicke) and emigrated to Melbourne, Australia in 1852. Per the ‘artist’ biography, he opened a photo studio in Geelong by late 1856. He was considered a master of portrait and landscape photography until a fire destroyed several buildings, including his studio, in 1869, after which he returned to Melbourne and later joined the photographer’s association there. After Robert Ellery ‘s second assistant, Farie McGeorge, retired in 1873, Turner became the assistant astronomer and photographer for the Great Melbourne Telescope. Turner’s photographs of the Moon, in particular, were considered among the finest taken anywhere in the world during that period. His service at the GMT only ended with his unexpected and sudden death. (2.)

Additional details via Design & Art Australia Online: “Newton notes that Joseph Turner, described as ‘an excellent photographer’, was appointed to the Melbourne Observatory on 10 February 1873 and remained there until 1883. Lunar photographs by Turner are held at the Mount Stromlo and Siding Springs Observatory (Australian Capital Territory) and at the Australian National Gallery. Other photographs are in the La Trobe Library and at Melbourne University.”

1. See: “Photographie directe de la lune” by Lewis Morris Rutherfurd , an 1877 woodburytype from Les Terres du Ciel; and Rutherfurd’s “Photograph of The Moon”, another woodburytype from the 1875 volume The Chemistry of Light and Photography. A further, and possibly later variant by Joseph Turner is held by the Scottish National Portrait Gallery, Edinburgh: Title: The Moon: Date: About 1880: Accession number: PGP R 2225.56
2. Biography: Joseph Turner: Ancient and Early Modern Observers: Celestial Atlas: The Discoverers of the NGC / IC Objects, accessed February, 2025