PRIVATE COLLECTORS and ALBUMS 19th century Tasmanian photographers
ATTRIBUTION ISSUES
The DOUGLAS STEWART FINE BOOKS LTD HOBART BOOK FAIR was held on February 12-13, 2011 with three items on sale pertaining to Thomas J. Nevin's commercial photography. Their catalogue listing for the stereograph, On Brown's River mentions the blog article posted on this blog in the following comment:
[TASMANIA] On Brown’s River: Samuel Clifford’s camera
CLIFFORD, Samuel (1827-1890)
# 564
Stereoscopic albumen print photograph, early 1860s. Each image 80 x 80 mm. Printed label verso: Views in Tasmania. Bush Scenery. S. Clifford, Photographer, Hobart Town. Inscribed in ink in period hand verso: On Brown’s River. Samuel Clifford’s camera can clearly be seen to the right of the waterfall.
As [this blog] has pointed out, this image should possibly have a double attribution, as Thomas Nevin is known to have accompanied Clifford on photographic excursions and perhaps it was Nevin who photographed Clifford's camera. However, this begs the question: if Nevin (or another photographer) photographed Clifford's camera, why did he not also photograph Clifford standing next to it?
In response, [this blog]'s thoughts on the DSFB's question:
The title "On Brown's River" verso foregrounds the locale, not people, so the bush itself was the intended subject of the image for the prospective viewer (if Clifford had written the title, that is, which he may not have done), and the camera - there were TWO - being the meta information for the viewer about the means of making the image. I note that you have decided the camera was Clifford's but where is the evidence? e.g. you say "Samuel Clifford’s camera can clearly be seen to the right of the waterfall." Where is that information written? I've gone along with this assumption (in the Nevin article) , but I'm clearly not convinced. I maintain that the representation of the photographer(s) in person or their representation by means of their possessions and skills (synecdoche) was not the primary motivation in capturing the scene, hence the absence of Clifford himself from the image, and the absence of any mention of the camera in the title on verso.
The photographer with a camera on kunanyi/Mt Wellington in this image is thought to be Samuel Clifford, published in Dan Sprod's book of Victorian and Edwardian Photographs of Hobart (1977); Sprod suggests the photographer pictured was Clifford, so who took the photograph? Again, it was probably Clifford's colleague Thomas J. Nevin.
THE BLOG POST
Below: this is the blog POST referenced by DSFB in the comment above regarding the stereograph, On Brown’s River: Samuel Clifford’s camera.
"DOUGLAS STEWART FINE BOOKS LTD HOBART BOOK FAIR was held on February 12 - 13, 2011 with three items on sale pertaining to Thomas J. Nevin's commercial photography.
STEREOGRAPH of CLIFFORD'S CAMERA
The first was this stereograph attributed to Samuel Clifford but ostensibly showing Clifford's camera. Who took the photograph? Did Clifford carry two cumbersome cameras with him into this dense bush setting at Brown's River, or was he accompanied - as so often he was around Tasmania - by Thomas Nevin? If so, the stereograph deserves the double attribution of Clifford & Nevin, an inscription which appears on the verso of several stereographs and portraits held in both private and public collections.
Below: Catalogue detail of image
CATALOGUE ENTRY
25. CLIFFORD, Samuel (1827-1890). On Brown’s River: Mr. Clifford’s camera.
Stereoscopic albumen print photograph, early 1860s. Each image 80 x 80 mm.
Printed label verso: Views in Tasmania. Bush Scenery. S. Clifford, Photographer, Hobart Town
Inscribed in ink in period hand verso: On Brown’s River.
Samuel Clifford’s camera can clearly be seen to the right of the waterfall.
From the catalogue
DOUGLAS STEWART FINE BOOKS LTD
HOBART BOOK FAIR
February 12 - 13, 2011
POLICE NOTICE: CLIFFORD'S STOLEN CAMERA
Samuel Clifford's name appears only twice in the weekly police gazettes, called Tasmania Reports of Crimes Information for Police between the years 1866-1880, and in both instances because he was a victim of theft: some silver cutlery and a table cloth were stolen from his house and reported on 17th October 1873, and most heart breaking of all, his camera was stolen while staying at the Wilmot Arms at Green Ponds while travelling through the Tasmanian midlands to Melton Mowbray. Samuel Clifford and Thomas Nevin collaborated on several photographic excursions around the island, and since Clifford reprinted so many of Nevin's commercial negatives from 1876, placing an accurate date and even a sole attribution to Clifford on the extant albums of views etc is far from straightforward.
TRANSCRIPT
GREEN PONDS MUNICIPALITY
STOLEN during last week, from the Wilmot Arms, Green Ponds: - A photographic sliding camera, with rising front for pictures, 8 x 4½ inches, swing back, folding tail-board rack and pinion movement, shifting front with brass flange, the woodwork is Indian teak; 3 negatives of views at Belgrove; the property of and identifiable by Mr. S. Clifford.
Police gazette, 15th November, 1878:
Samuel Clifford's camera stolen from the Wilmot Arms at Green Ponds
Source: Tasmania Reports of Crime for Police J. Barnard Gov't printer
For example, this album bears Samuel Clifford's name, and it was no doubt compiled by Walch's printers and booksellers who sold it to the May family (name inscribed on inside cover) but several photographs in the album are prints from Nevin's original stereographs, eg. this one held at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery with his impress on left of the buff mount:
TMAG Catalogue notes (online until 2006)
Ref: Q1994.56.21
ITEM NAME: Photograph:
MEDIUM: sepia stereoscope salt paper print ,
MAKER: T Nevin [Artist];
DATE: 1870s
DESCRIPTION : Scene near New Norfolk ?
INSCRIPTIONS & MARKS: Impressed on front: T Nevin/ photo
Album: Tasmanian Scenes, S. Clifford Photographer
Held at the Tasmanian Archives and Heritage Office (TAHO)
Photos © KLW NFC 2012 ARR
Only months prior to the theft of his camera, Samuel Clifford had offered his stock etc for auction, per this notice in the Mercury, 4th March 1878:
Samuel Clifford auction of his photographic stock in trade
Mercury 4th March 1878
THE BOTHWELL EXCURSION 1874
The second item at the DSFB Hobart Book Fair, a stereograph attributed to Clifford of Bothwell school children may also have been taken by Nevin with Clifford in the final week of September 1874, when they were passing through Bothwell, 45 miles north of Hobart. They were enjoined to photograph the procession of Templars attending a large meeting. The Mercury, reported their arrival in the town in a long account of the meeting, published on 26 September, 1874:
Samuel Clifford and Thomas Nevin in Bothwell
Mercury 26th Sept 1874
TRANSCRIPT
The members of the Order, according to their respective lodges then formed in procession outside the building, where a capital photograph was taken by Messrs Clifford and Nevin, photographers of Hobart Town, who were located in the township on a travelling tour. The township was then paraded, the band striking up some lively airs, but a smart shower coming down, the procession was speedily dispersed in every directions in quest of shelter.
FAMILY PORTRAITS ALBUMS
The third item for sale at the DSFB Hobart Book Fair (2011) was a pair of albums containing photographs by Thomas J. Nevin, apparently bearing his most common studio stamp verso which included the wording "Late A. Bock" to indicate his succession to Alfred Bock's business and studio at The City Photographic Establishment from 1867 until early 1876. According to notes and information supplied by DSFB, the albums contained the following:
"140 + family portrait photographs in carte-de-visite and cabinet card formats. Identified sitters include William Barnett of Clifton House, New Norfolk, Tasmania, 1864 / Anna Barnett, Clifton House, New Norfolk, 2nd daughter of Thomas & Elizabeth Judd, Franklin, River Huon, 1864; Mr W.H. Thomas, Agnes Rivulet, Port Cygnet (early 1860s), and John Hay of Southport. Photographic studios represented include those of Frith, Nevin (late A. Bock), Spurling, J. Bishop Osborne, Winter, Wherrett, Riise & Barnett, Woolley and Anson Bros ...."
Both albums were sold to Huon Valley descendants. Did you buy these albums, or do you know who the lucky buyers were? Scans of the Nevin photographs would be appreciated enormously. Please contact us."
The purchasers (eg. Dianne Tam - diannetam67 at ancestry.com) made contact but were annoyingly vague as to where they had uploaded their scans of the collection, including the photograph by T. J. Nevin (more on this later).
RELATED ARTICLES main weblog
- Clifford & Nevin, Hobart Town: tinted cartes
- T. J. Nevin's Christmas cards 1874
- Red and violet: the impact of Brewster stereoscopy
- Stereographs by Clifford & Nevin at 'Narryna'
- T. Nevin & Samuel Clifford identical views
- Rocking Stone party, Mt Wellington
- At the Salmon Ponds and Plenty
- Teenager with tinted sprig
- Hand-tinted carte by ‘Clifford & Nevin, Hobart Town’
- Nevin's big tabletop stereograph viewer with Freemason
- Working with police and prisoners
UPDATED 3 July 2012, 9 March 2013 and 30 Sep 2021