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This site was created 26 April
1998/ last updated 2 July 2006
© Marcel Safier 2000-2005
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| Index:
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Roma was named after Lady Diamantina Roma, the wife of
George Bowen who was appointed Queensland's first governor in 1859 and
was the first town to be gazetted in the new colony of Queensland.
Prior to this the area was known as Reid's Crossing or the Bungil.
The area was first explored by Thomas Mitchell in 1846 and first settled
by a European in 1847 when A. McPherson established Mount Abundance station
which later became the town site. Queensland's oldest vineyard was
planted in 1863 at Roma, and it still remains a major concern. The
railway from Brisbane opened in 1880 and oil was discovered in the area
in 1900.
The earliest photographer I have found that visited Roma was
Behr Raphael Lewin in 1862. Thomas Mathewson records visiting the
town early in 1866 and by that time Lewin has established a general store there.
Two years later Olive White another travelling photographer passed
through the town. |
| EARLY STUDIOS/PHOTOGRAPHERS | |||
| PHOTOGRAPHERS NAME | ADDRESS OF OPERATION | DATES ACTIVE | NOTES incl. types of photographs produced |
| Behr Raphael Lewin | 1862 | Started as a daguerreian photographer in NSW. He eatblished a general store in and was heavily involved in the small Jewish community in Roma. His nephew A. M. Hertzberg became mayor of Roma. He left for Brisbane and continued to work as a merchant and appears to have given up photography. | |
| Thomas Mathewson | travelling photographer | 1866 | Not long arrived from Scotland Thomas Mathewson was orphaned at a young age and was raised by the Cribb
family in Ipswich. He worked in Cribb and Foote stores in his teens.
Thomas learnt photography in Ipswich from Alfred Hazleton and Theophyllis
Beazley. Having apprenticed
as a cabinet maker he built his first camera. Mathewson became a travelling
photographer, visiting many far flung parts of Queensland, travelling periodically
to Sydney for re-supplies. He eventually set up a studio in Brisbane with his brother Peter in the long
running firm of Mathewson & Co in Queen St. He parted company
with Peter in 1889 and continued to operate in Queen St eventually changing
the studio name to Regent Studios. Thomas Mathewson has been described
as Queensland's greatest photographer.
cartes de visite |
| Oliver J. White | travelling photographer | Sep 1868 | From Sydney - visited Roma and Dalby |
| Richard James Cottell (1833-1923) |
McDowall St | 1869-1880 | Earliest established photographer in Roma where he was
also Mayor. Born in Cowes, Isle of Wight, son of printer/engraver John
Gregory Cottell and CharlotteWalpole. Unsure when he arrived in Queensland but
Richard went from Dalby to Roma in 1867 but there is no evidence he
was a photographer previously. Also travelled through out the west visiting
Clermont in 1872 and Copperfield in 1873 and 1875. He moved to Brisbane in 1882
and worked as an auctioneer. He remained interested in photography and was
involved with the Amateur Photographic Society. In 1893 his son George Henry Cottell
(1869-1908)
had a studio in Charters Towers and later Bundaberg. (m. 19 Nov 1862, Brisbane to Catherine Nairn Cameron b. 10 May 1843, Launceston, d. 22 Sep 1911 - daughter of actor/accountant Samson Pearce Cameron and Cordelia Ann Bouchier) cartes de visite |
| Reckitt & Mills (Albert Reckitt 1829-1905& John Henry Mills) |
travelling photographers | Apr 1877 | Reckitt came to Australia 1865-66 from Lincolnshire. He was
from the family of the makers of Reckitt's Blue. He
partnered with John Henry Mills as Reckitt and Mills and they first worked in
Cooktown in 1876. Prior to that Mills had worked with William Boag in a short
lived partnership. They travelled extensively and were based in Mackay and
then Mount Britton 1881-1891. (son of Thomas & Deborah Reckitt) cartes de visite |
| Frisco Photographic Co
(George A. Tissington) |
travelling photographer | Mar 1882 | Tissington started as a travelling photographer, then
established a studio in Toowoomba in 1880 and Maryborough in 1881. He next
operated the Frisco Photographic Company based in Ipswich. He visited Roma
for a short time and worked out of Cottell's studio. There is a probable connection
with the Frisco Photo Co operated by J. H. Lundager in Rockhampton.
cartes de visite |
| E. B. Cardell
(Charles Edward William Boys Cardell) (1842-) |
1888-1891 | Started in Adelaide where he was known as C. B. Cardell.
Worked as both a photographer and chemist training under W. A. Francis.
Later moved to Kapunda S.A. then to Maryborough, Queensland in 1874 where he
worked as a chemist in partnership with Fermann before moving to Roma in 1875 where he also worked as both photographer and chemist.
For some reason changed his name to E. B. Cardell. Moved to Cloncurry
around 1894.
cartes de visite, cabinet photos |
|
| J. J. Hogg & Co.
(John Jackson Hogg) (1848- ) |
McDowall St | Dec 1886 | Opened for a month only as part of an outback tour and
offered everything from cabinet photos and Paris Panels to enlargements
over painted in oils and opalotypes. Hogg had a well established
studio in George St, Brisbane. He later went into partnership there
with Chris Lord. He opened in Elizabeth St, Brisbane in 1907 and
in Wynnum in 1915 until 1921.
(m. 1875 to Louisa Ruth Barrett) |
| Louis Godfrey Alexander
(1855-1924) |
1884-1885 | Worked with Cardell in 1884, then opened his own business
that was closed following year, with Louis filing for insolvency on 26 September
1885. He moved to Sydney and opened a studio in Manly, then Enmore, Newtown and
finally George St, Sydney. cabinet photos |
|
| George Billingham | 1888-1891 | Had a studio in Wickham St Brisbane in 1883. Moved to Bundaberg around 1893. | |
| Australian and Oriental Photographic Co
(Henry George Read Billington) (c.1841-1913) |
1889, 1894 | Travelling photographer of the firm Billington &
Co of Sydney who offered views of the district by subscription. Returned
in 1894 again offering landscape views. (m. Kate Cruise) |
|
| Charles Parker Lucock | 1889-1893 | Later had studio in Mt. Thompson Estate (near Greenslopes),
Brisbane 1895 and then Oxley in partnership with A. E. Urry. Set up in
to Inverell, NSW in 1900. (m. Marion Ellen Armstrong) cabinet photos |
|
| J. H. Preston
(1865- ) |
1893-1895 | Emigrated from England in 1866 where he had worked as a photographer in Birmingham. Initially worked fro Charlemont Studio in Sydney. Moved to Queensland to work as a photolithographer in the survey section of the Lands Dept. Moved to Roma in 1893. Was a member of the local Masonic lodge from 1894-98. Worked in Aramac in 1897 and Clermont in 1898. Had a studio for a time in Brisbane. | |
| Christian Victor Keys | Feb 1895;
Dec 1897-Mar 1898 Mar 1900 |
After leaving
Roma worked in Cooktown Sep-Oct 1895); Thursday Island (Feb 1896); Barcaldine (feb-Mar
1897) and Blackall (Apr 1897). Opened a studio in Queen St, Brisbane
in 1897 in the partnership Seavey and Keys (or was that a play on his initials
and surname?). Keys returned for a while
to Roma in 1898. Sold out Brisbane studio to Dana at turn of century and
returned to Roma and Chalreville in 1900. Unsure if same
person as Charles V. Keys who worked in Kempsey, NSW
1889-93.
cabinet photos |
|
| Maranoa Studio
(Henry Mansfield Holloway) |
1896-1920 | Also produced postcard views of Roma and district (see
below) grand daughter McKnight lived in McDowall St, married Miss Campbell. (m. 4 Jan 1892 Katherine Elizabeth Pennie) |
|
| Walter Eustace Perroux | McDowall St | 1897-1898 | In partnership with Frederick Watson Bernays in Mackay
1890-91, then in Toowoomba from 1895 and also studios in Bundaberg 1895-97
and Childers 1897-98. Moved to Charleville in April 1898. (m. 1882 to Catherine
Elizabeth Gaffney)
cabinet photos |
| Horace A. Taylor | 1898-1899 |
First appeared in Toowoomba from
1876-1878 but their is no trace of Taylor working under his own name as a
photographer then until October 1889 when he appears as a travelling
photographer visiting Crows Nest. He had a child in Newtown, Sydney in 1889 so
he may have been in New South Wales in the intervening years. He opened a studio
in Pittsworth in 1896, then he moved to Roma before returning to Toowoomba where
he operated the Federal Co. studio in 1901 that operated until his death in
1905. His brother Benjamin Hurst Taylor was a photographer in Ipswich and
Laidley, operating the IXL studio. cabinet photos |
|
| Poul Christensen Poulsen | July 1898 | Poul Poulsen had studios in Brisbane, Gympie and Maryborough.
He had a temporary branch in Roma probably operated by one of his brothers Anton
or Anders. (m. Jessie Agnes Hill) cabinet photos |
|
| Swift Company
(G. W. Lewis) |
1901 | ||
| Ideal Studio
(Charles George Seymour Pitman) (1887-1918) |
McDowall St | 1911-1918 | Studio in Brisbane under J. W. Fegan then opened his Roma studio in October 1911, having exhibited some work at the Roma show in May that year. He produced some postcard views of the 1909 show. He married Louisa Ross in 1913 but died in Roma in 1918 aged 31. Business taken over by Crammond. |
| Crammond | McDowall St | 1919-1920 | Took over Pitman's operation following his death. Claimed to have worked in studios in London, NSW, Victoria and Tasmania. Sold out to Otto Watson in 1920. |
| Ideal Studio (Otto Watson) |
McDowall St | 1920-1931 | Had a studio on Thursday Island from 1905-1919 before moving
to Roma and taking over Crammond's studio. (m. Agnes Georgina Joyce) |
| EARLY POST CARD PUBLISHERS | |||
| PUBLISHER/SERIES | DATES PRODUCED | NOTES | |
| Coloured Shell Series | c.1904-1915 | Produced view postcards covering the all major towns of Queensland. They appear to have licensed negatives also used by other publishers. Their range included over 150 different views. | |
| The Crown Studios | c.1905 | The Crown Studios were a Sydney based firm owned by Mark
Blow whose large studio was on the corner of Market and George Sts.
This studio opened in 1893 and Blow initially concentrated on portraiture,
later moving into landscape work as well. The studio's photographers travelled
throughout New South Wales and Queensland capturing many hundreds of views
for the postcard market. These were later marketed by Edwards Dunlop &
Co (see below)
Titles: Royal Hotel, Roma, Q. 0317/1 |
|
| E.D. & Co. later EDCO
(Edwards Dunlop & Company) |
c.1905-1915 | Edwards Dunlop published numerous view postcards initially real photographs usually taken by Crown Studios of Sydney before they moved into printed postcards. Most of their postcards feature an identifying serial number and they cover both the major and many smaller towns of Queensland. | |
| Maranoa Studio
(H. M. Holloway) |
c.1909-10 | Holloway, a local studio photographer produced a series
of colour printed postcard views of Roma (see entry above under photographers)
Titles: Flour Mill, Roma (Maranoa Series) Court House, Roma McDowall Street, Roma, looking East Bowling Green, Roma Railway Bridge, Bungeworgorai Creek, near Roma Weir, Bungeworgorai Creek, near Roma |
|
| C.S.P.
(Charles George Seymour Pitman) |
1909 | Real photograph postcards of the Roma show of 1909 noted.
Later set up the Ideal Studio in Roma which operated until his death in
1918 (see entry above under photographers).
Titles: Grand Parade, Roma Show 1909. |
|
| E.C. | c.1905 | Not yet known who this photographer was - produced real
photograph postcards.
Titles: Easter Sunday, Roma |
|
| Notes: Some of the year ranges stated may not be complete or totally accurate as the information is limited to what has appeared in trade directories and newspapers, what was on the back of photos or my guestimate from examination of the photos. It is always difficult to determine those travelling/itinerant photographers who may have visited the region as they often visited for very short periods and left little record of their activities. Sometimes they would announce their arrival in a local newspaper but detecting these notices can be a labourious task since few regional newspapers are indexed . | |||
| Sources:
private photograph collection of author of this site (this includes the family album of Louis Alexander's sister-in-law) various Queensland trade directories and almanacs Alan Davies and Peter Stanbury, "The Mechanical Eye in Australia", OUP, Melbourne, 1988. Sandy Barrie, "Queenslanders Behind The Camera. Professional Photographers in Queensland 1849-1920", Volumes 1-5, Brisbane, 1988. Early Newspapers: The Western Star (established March 21, 1875) Maranoa Advocate |
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| Thankyou especially to Peter Keegan (Roma historian), Sandy Barrie (photographic historian) and to Robert Noye (South Australian photo historian - deceased), also Alan Davies (curator picture collection Mitchell Library, Sydney and author), Tim Green (descendant of R. J .Cottell) and Pearl Mahoney (relative of Charles Pitman). | |||
| Anyone with further information about the above photographers or with names of and information about other photographers not listed is welcome to contact me. **I am particularly interested in making contact with the descendants and relations of photographers.** | |||
| GUIDE TO PHOTOGRAPH TYPES | |
| Daguerreotype | Invented by Louis Daguerre in 1837 and introduced to the world in 1839. The daguerreotype was produced on highly buffed silver coated on to a brass plate and cannot be easily viewed unless turned at the right angle. The image was mounted under a brass mat and glass and placed in a leather bound folding case (imported from the USA, France or England) or sometimes framed. Ninth, sixth, quarter and half plate sizes were the most popular - the former two being those most commonly found. |
| Calotype | A paper print made from a paper negative. Pioneered by Fox Talbot, the calotype was introduced at the same time of the daguerreotype but never caught on in popularity |
| Ambrotype
(Collodiotype) |
Underexposed and sometimes bleached photographic negative on glass backed by black paper, dark velvet or black paint directly on the plate to make the negative appear positive. This was then mounted in a brass frame and placed in a papier-mâché or leather bound folding case or sometimes framed. Ninth, sixth and quarter plate sizes were all popular - half and full plate images are sometimes seen. |
| Carte de Visite | Paper photograph from glass plate negative mounted on card board mount 2 1/2" x 4" - popular from 1861-c.1895 |
| Cabinet Photo | Paper photograph from glass plate negative mounted on card board mount 4 1/4" x 6 1/2" - popular from mid 1870s-c.1905 |
| Tintype | Photograph on metallic tin, akin to an ambrotype. Produced in many sizes, the most popular being a small postage stamp sized tintype (gem tintype) which could be mounted in carte de visite sized cardboard frame (carte de visite tintype) or an unmounted carte de visite size (2½" x 3½"plate - so called sixth plate). Introduced to Australia in 1858 but popular 1879-1885. |
| Opalotype | Photograph on white opaque "milk" or "opal" glass. Commonly 12" x 14" and framed. Poplar from mid 1880s until 1920s. |
| Postcard Photo | Photograph on paper with printed post card back, so that it could be mailed if desired taking advantage of the penny post. This paper was used by professionals (where it was mainly used for studio portraiture or for views specifically for the postcard market) and by amateurs alike. Size 5" x 3 1/2" |
| Roma and district historical organisations/libraries/museums & other links of interest | |
| Roma & District Local
& Family History Society
17 McDowall St P.O. Box 877 Roma QLD 4455 |
Open every Tues & Thur 9:30am-11:30am, Fri 4:00-6:00pm, Sat 2:00-4:00pm. Small fee for non-members. Membership: $25.00 single. Journal: Quarterly. Maranoa Enquirer. President: Maree Worland 07-4622 2128 a/h. |
| Meadowbank Museum
C/O Roma Tourist Information Centre Warrego Highway Roma QLD 4455 (076) 224 355 (076) 224 355 |
Situated: 12 kilometres west of Roma; Opening Times: Weekends 9.00 - 16.00. Monday to Friday by appointment only. Group bookings by arrangement weekdays. |
| I am always after photographs for my reference collection and I welcome offers of any old photographs, postcards and albums (not just from Queensland but anywhere in Australia). I also seek glass plate negatives and early wood and brass camera gear. |
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