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FORTITUDE VALLEY, Queensland |
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Site was created 5 May 1998 and was last updated 10 December 2005
© Marcel Safier, 1998-2005 |
| EARLY PHOTOGRAPHERS/STUDIOS | |||
| PHOTOGRAPHERS NAME | ADDRESS OF OPERATION | DATES ACTIVE | NOTES incl. types of photographs produced |
| Andrew Weddell | Ann St | 1864-1874 | First resident photographer in the Valley and of Swedish descent.
Photographer some of the areas aborigines. Negatives were sold to Samuel
Duesbury of Queen St who offered reprints from them.. cartes de visite |
| Henry William Fox | Ann St | 1866-67 | cartes de visite |
| George Parkinson Wright | James St | c.1874-79 | Landscape photographer cartes de visite |
| Nagel & Clune | Ann St | 1888 | cartes de visite |
| J. J. Clune | Ann St | 1889-1890 | cartes de visite |
| Peter Mathewson & Sons | Wickham St, Petrie's Bight | 1893-1918 | Joined his brother Thomas in the partnership
Mathewson and Co in 1876 and they operated a studio in Queen St, Brisbane.
Opened a short lived branch studio in Maryborough in 1884. Separated
from his brother in 1889 due to downturn in business and operated the Queensland
Boot Palace in Queen St. Eventually opened his own studio in Wickham
St, Petrie's Bight shifting to several locations along Wickham St following
the demolition of the first building in 1918. Worked in partnerships
with 3 of his sons and employed 3 of his daughters as retouching artists. cabinet photos |
| Wickham St, Valley | 1918-192? | ||
| Brunswick Studio
(Robert Pumfrey manager) |
Brunswick St, New Farm | 1893-1895 | Came out from Oxford, England following his brother John
who had a grocers business at Tewantin. Robert managed the Brunswick
studio and was succeeded there by Alfred Nineham (see below). Pumfrey
went on to work as a traveling photographer visiting Temora, NSW in 1897 and
Adelong in 1900 but he eventually returned to England. cabinet photos |
| Brunswick Studio (Alfred E. Nineham) |
Brunswick St | 1895-1896 | Moved business to Gladstone in 1898 then to Mount Morgan in 1906 |
| H. Taylor Browning | Warren St | 1890s | |
| Fegan & Ruddle
(James William Fegan & Roland Arthur Ruddle) |
1900-1904 | Fegan came from South Australia where he had been in
partnership with George A. Ball in Port Pirie from 1895 and then there
by himself from 1897. He moved to Queensland and set up in partnership
with Ruddle before opening his own studio in Brisbane around 1907 and he
later moved to Gympie. postcard photos |
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| Ruddle (Roland Arthur Ruddle) |
Brunswick St | c.1907-1937 | Ruddle opened his own studio after his partnership with Fegan dissolved. He
worked with his brother William Bolton Ruddle for many years finally selling out to Jack Foster who renamed the studio Ruddle-Foster.
His brother William ran the Royal Albert Hotel that still stands in the
Valley on the corner of Ann and Brunswick Sts. postcard photos; card mounted enlargements |
| Talma | Wickham St | 1910-1920 | Branch of well known southern studio which has branches in
Sydney and Melbourne which were owned by Andrew Barrie postcard photos |
| Watts Studio
(H. Watts) |
Wickham St | 1913-1914 | Previously operated in Toowoomba from 1909 postcard photos |
| Jack A. Little | Windmill St, FV | 1916 | postcard photos |
| 379 Brunswick St, New Farm | 1918-1919 | ||
| Austral Studio
(Thomas Mathewson) |
Wickham St | 1917-1924 | Thomas Mathewson (son of Peter and nephew of Thomas) initially operated a branch of Mathewson & Co in
Charters Towers from the late 1880s, taking in his brother John as a partner
until 1898 and was later joined by his brother Robert. He finally returned
to Brisbane around 1915 opening a studio not far from his father Peter's studio. postcard photos |
| Arthur Edwin Urry | 221 Wickham St | 1918-1931 | Emigrated from the Isle of Wight in 1885. Operated
in Maryborough from 1888-1897 and established a studio in Townsville in
1900. He went into partnership with Charles Lucock in Oxley, Brisbane for a while
and then set up in Fortitude Valley with his brother around 1918. postcard photos |
| Vandyck Studio | Possibly connected with the studio of the same name previously in Bundaberg | ||
| 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. Indexing
project for this series currently underway by
Reg
Stonard and David Johnson of the Queensland
Card Collector's Society Inc.
Titles: Brunswick St, Valley Museum |
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| McWhirter & Sons | Duncan McWhirter, owner of a large emporium on the corner of Wickham and Brunswick Sts published a series of Brisbane view postcards but strangely omitted to produce any featuring Fortitude Valley. | ||
| Record Series | |||
| E.D. & Co. later EDCO
(Edwards Dunlop & Company) |
c1905-1915 | Published numerous view postcards initially real photographs usually taken by Crown Studios of Sydney later moving into printed postcards. Most cards feature an identifying serial number and they cover both the major and many smaller towns of Queensland | |
| J. M. Black (Joseph McCulloch Black) |
Black, a stationer based in the Valley produced at least one postcard, a view of "Dara" the residence of the R.C. Archbishop of Brisbane | ||
| Retrac | |||
| Franklin Series | Series of real photograph postcards mainly from the 1920s | ||
| Notes:
Some of the year ranges stated may not be complete as the information is limited to what has appeared in trade directories and newspapers and what was written on 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. Usually they would announce their arrival in a local newspaper. Anyone with further information about the above photographers or with names of and information about other photographers not listed is welcome to send me an e-mail. I am particularly interested in making contact with the descendants and relations of photographers. |
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| Sources:
private photograph
collection of site author
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| Thankyou to Jack Mathewson & Nancy Bennett (grandchildren of Thomas Mathewson), John Davidson (great-grandson of Peter Mathewson) , Kathleen Urry, Chris Urry, Mark Urry, Alan Davies (curator picture collection Mitchell Library, Sydney and author) and members of the Queensland Card Collectors Society Inc (a group for collectors of postcards, cigarette and trade cards) | |||
| 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" |
| Historical organisations/libraries/museums/genealogical societies: | |
| Royal Historical Society of Queensland
Commissariat Store 115 William Street Brisbane QLD 4000 PO Box 12057 Elizabeth Street, Brisbane QLD 4002 (07) 3221-4198 |
Hours & Facilities: Open Tues-Fri 11am-2pm and by appointment; closed Sat-Mon. Referral to paid researchers is available. |
| Brisbane History Group | |
| State Library of Queensland | |
| The University of Queensland Libraries | |
| Queensland Museum | |
| Queensland
Family History Society Inc
Correspondence:
Library:
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Access to the library is free to QFHS members. The
charge for non-members is $5.00 per hour (minimum), or $10.00 per day.
The library is closed on public holidays and for one month over Christmas.
Monday Evening only, 7 - 9 pm Tuesdays 10 am - 3 pm Wednesdays 10 am - 3 pm Thursdays 10 am - 3 pm Fridays Closed Saturdays 1 pm - 4 pm Sundays (1st,2nd and 3rd) 10 am - 4 pm (4th and 5th) 1 pm - 4 pm |
| Genealogical
Society of Queensland
Resource Centre
Correspondence
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| Wanted
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 equipment. |
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