Advertisements: Alfred Bock at Campbell Street
Source: Colonial Times, 5th April 1855
By July 1855 he had moved to Elliston's premises at 78 Liverpool Street, formerly occupied by the photographers Duryea and McDonald where he built a "Crystal Palace" studio and purchased photographic equipment from Ross of London. Financial difficulties ensued, and Bock moved several times.
Alfred Bock's studio stamp 1860s
From © The Private Collection of John & Robyn McCullagh 2005-2007 ARR.
In 1857 Alfred Bock was at 18 Macquarie Street. But on 6th February, 1858, he was insolvent. Later that year, Bock re-established himself at 140 Elizabeth Street, Hobart Town - a business he called The City Photographic Establishment - and stayed there until 1865 when he was again declared insolvent. Thomas Nevin acquired Bock's studio lease, glass house, and stock-in- trade at the auction which was held on the studio premises, August 2, 1865 by Bock's assignee John Milward:
Stock-in-Trade of a Photographer, comprising - Instruments, Chemicals, Background, accessories, chairs, tables, pedestals, vases, and many other necessary articles for taking photographic portraits etc .... A large and exceedingly well furnished glass house, 22 feet by 8 feet with dark room attached .... A few choice oil paintings in gilt frames, show cases, and photographs and a small collection of books.Source: Joan Kerr (ed) Dictionary of Australian Artists ... to 1870 (MUP, 1992, p.68)
Thomas Nevin acquired the dwelling at 138 Elizabeth St and the lease of the studio at 140 Elizabeth Street Hobart from Abraham Biggs (Victoria), and retained the business name when he took over The City Photographic Establishment from Bock in 1865.
Alfred Bock's design for his own studio stamp was used by Thomas Nevin for commercial studio portraits with some minor alterations and additions into the mid-1870s:
Verso of T. J. Nevin's portrait of the Hon. W.R. Giblin 1872-1876.
Archives Office of Tasmania Ref: NS1013/1971
Thomas Nevin probably acquired Bock's photographic equipment, "instruments" and chemicals along with the transfer of the lease. Some of the portraits listed at the auction may be those now held at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery of Sarah and Thomas Crouch. Some of the larger items, such as the carpet, the table with griffin-shaped legs, the low chair covered with a shiny material, the curtain, and the painted backdrop of river valley and mountain, can be seen in Nevin's carte-de-visite of an unidentified woman in hat, with handbag and umbrella, which bears his studio name and address on verso (Marcel Safier Collection). These items of furniture were most likely included in the sale of Bock's stock-in-trade.
T. Nevin studio portrait of woman with umbrella
From © The Safier Collection 2005-2007 ARR.
The same backdrop can be seen on the (viewer's) right in a full length studio portrait of Bishop Willson, dated at ca. 1865 and attributed to Charles A. Woolley by the TMAG. It is visible also in an unattributed photograph of Hugh Munro Hull, coroner and Clerk of the House, Tasmanian Parliament.
Charles A. Woolley attributed, Bishop Willson, TMAG Collection
With his brother Constable John Nevin, Thomas maintained his photographic studio at New Town where he first began his professional career in 1864. On marriage in July 1871, Thomas moved his wife Elizabeth Rachel Nevin (nee Day) into the premises at 138 Elizabeth Street next door to the studio. Their first two children were born there: May Florence Elizabeth in 1872, and Thomas James jnr (Sonny) in 1874. By February 1872, Thomas Nevin was working both as a commercial photographer and as government contractor with the Lands and Survey Department and the Municipal Police Office, Hobart City Corporation at the Hobart Town Hall.
In January 1876 the Nevins took up residence at the Hobart Town Hall, the location of the Municipal Police Office and Public Library where Thomas Nevin had been appointed Office and Hall Keeper. His photographic activities now centred on the provision of criminal identification photographs for the Municipal Police Office. He maintained his other studio at New Town, and the studio at 140 Elizabeth Street was retained by a Mr Edward Slide (Hobart Town Gazette 1876). The lease notice appeared in the Mercury on January 8th, 1876:
Thomas Nevin's premises to letSource: Mercury 08/01/1876 Page(s): 1, column 7.
Thomas Nevin's former premises in Upper Elizabeth Street , Hobart town to let.
Thomas Nevin's studio, Elizabeth St. Hobart.
Stereograph by T. J. Nevin late 1860s.
Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery Collection
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