Posing with a stereoscopic viewer

Clients of early photographers were not the only ones to pose with the photographer's own stereoscopic viewers. Two extant cartes-de-visite self-portraits by Thomas J. Nevin (the selfies of his day) in the © KLW NFC Group & KLW NFC Imprint Private Collections captured his treasured stereoscopes, one with him holding a small viewer, possibly a Brewster, ca. 1868, and another with him standing next his large table-top stereoscopic viewer, possibly a Beckers (ca 1875).

THOMAS J. NEVIN'S SELF-PORTRAITS WITH STEREO VIEWERS

Above: Tasmanian Photographer T.J. Nevin ca, 1868 in white gloves with stereoscopic viewer.
Photo © KLW NFC Imprint Private Collection ARR

Thomas J. Nevin 1870s with tabletop stereo viewer

Above: Tasmanian Photographer T.J. Nevin ca, 1875 standing next to a tabletop stereoscopic viewer.
Photo © KLW NFC Imprint Private Collection ARR

WOMEN POSED WITH STEREO VIEWERS
Of all the extant photographs taken by Thomas J. Nevin of clients posing in his studio with his tabletop stereoscopic viewer, this one of an unidentified pregnant woman, taken ca 1873 from the © Liam Peters Collection is undoubtedly the most arresting:

Pregnant woman with stereo viewer by T.Nevin 1870s

Above: hand coloured full length cdv of a pregnant woman standing next to the same big box stereoscopic viewer and table with the griffin-shaped legs which feature in five extant studio portraits by Nevin of clients, of himself and family members. The verso bears Nevin's most common commercial studio stamp "T. Nevin late A. Bock, City Photographic Establishment 140 Elizabeth Street Hobart Town" and dates to ca. 1871-1874. Courtesy of © The Liam Peters Collection 2010. All rights reserved.

From the QVMAG Collection
Ref: 1985_P_0008

Above: this photograph of a young woman with her hand lightly resting on the table holding a similar tabletop stereo viewer to those in Nevin's full-length cdvs, was hand-tinted a light blue on her hair ribbon, and transcribed verso "Harriet Cross, aged 21." It bears the mount and studio stamp of Nevin's close friend, Henry Hall Baily, 94 Liverpool St., Hobart. and probably dates to 1880.

The photographic apparatus included within and completing the subject's pose was intended to signify a middle-class relationship with up-to-date technology and the stereographic entertainments the apparatus provided. The pose became a convention of 1870s studio portraiture, viz. these examples from British photographers:

Above: Edward Reeves (1824-1905), a former watchmaker, established his photographic studio at 159 High Street, Lewes in 1858. Source: Stereographica.comAntique Photographica

Above: Unattributed. Woman with stereoscopic viewer
Source:Stereographica.com Antique Photographica

MEN POSED WITH STEREO VIEWERS

Dr David Drewster stereo with stereo viewer

Above: Dr David Brewster with his invention
Source: The Macleay Museum University of Sydney

Notes: This hand-coloured card-mounted stereo photograph, showing Sir David Brewster and a Brewster stereo viewer, was published by the London Stereoscopic Company and retailed from their New York shop about 1860. Reproduced courtesy of T.K. Treadwell, Institute for Photographic Research, Texas, USA

Above: Carte-de-visite placed inside an album leaf frame of a senior Freemason wearing an apron and large lapel medal.
Photographed ca. 1874 in Thomas Nevin' studio,posed next to Nevin's tabletop stereograph viewer. Verso is blank.
From © The Lucy Batchelor Collection 2009. Courtesy Peter and Robyn Bishop

Above: Portrait of young man with stereoscopic viewer by Thomas Nevin ca. 1874.
Verso has T.J. Nevin stamp incorporating the Royal Arms government insignia of lion and unicorn rampant.
Scans courtesy of © The Private Collection of John and Robyn McCullagh 2006 -2009. ARR.

HOW THE TABLETOP STEREO VIEWER WORKS

These examples were on the market recently. The notes below are from the seller's website:
Source: https://www.stereographica.com/auctionframe.html

French TABLE TOP VIEWER for glass or paper views in the standard size (approx. 7” x 3.25”) circa 1870’s. The viewer comes with three cassettes that can be exchanged internally. Each cassette will hold 96 views back to back in 48 holders, The viewer measures 11” x 10” at the base and 20” high. The original key is included in the lot. Excellent original condition throughout.Winning Bid: $ 800

Very elegant floor standing STEREOSCOPIC VIEWER by Alexander BECKERS, circa 1870’s. It measures approximately 50” high. An interior paper label indicates Patent dates of May 29, 1866 and January 25, 1870. The viewer has focusing lenses either side and is usually mistakenly called a “Sweetheart” viewer. It holds approximately 800 views back to back in 400 wire holders. The belt is in good shape and everything works as it should. The optics too are first rate. The top viewer and the base are of two different woods as illustrated. It is possible it was a marriage at some point in it’s history. The most significant thing about this particular viewer is that it belonged to Alexander Beckers and came to this auction via his 85 year old granddaughter. A cabinet card of Alexander Beckers and his family is included in the lot. Refer Wing, page 67 for an illustration of a similar viewer. On page 62 there is a stereo view of the Beckers family for comparison.
Winning Bid: $ 5,750

RELATED ARTICLES main weblog

Public Collections

Private Collections

IN HIS OWN WORDS...

"T. J. NEVIN
PHOTOGRAPHIC ARTIST,
Returns his sincere thanks to his friends and the public for past favours, and having made a considerable Reduction in his Prices to suit the times, he solicits a continuance of their patronage, and invites attention to his circulars, showing particulars of the small cost for a first-class faithful Likeness.
140 ELIZABETH-STREET"
Hobart Mercury, 1st February 1873

“I hope that you have not got it in your mind that I am implicated with the ghost“.
Hobart Mercury, 4 December 1880

"Defendant said that he was the father of a large number of children, and did not know which one was referred to. (Laughter.)"
Hobart Mercury, 11 August 1886

"Mr. Thos Nevin was under the impression that the police should be under stricter supervision."
Hobart Mercury, 19 July 1888.

BIOGRAPHY: professional photographer Thomas James Nevin snr (1842-1923) produced large numbers of stereographs and cartes-de-visite within his commercial practice, and prisoner identification photographs on government contract. His career spanned nearly three decades, from the early 1860s to the late 1880s. He was one of the first photographers to work with the police in Australia, along with Charles Nettleton (Victoria) and Frazer Crawford (South Australia). His Tasmanian prisoner mugshots are among the earliest to survive in public collections, viz. the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery, Launceston; the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, Hobart; the Tasmanian Heritage and Archives Office, Hobart; the Port Arthur Historic Site, Tasman Peninsula; the National Library of Australia, Canberra; and the Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW, Sydney. Thomas J. Nevin's stereographs and portraits are held in public and private collections in Australia, New Zealand, the USA, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Denmark, France and Switzerland.

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Important Notices

INDIGENOUS NOTICE:
lutruwita/Tasmania/Van Diemen's Land (loo-tru-wee-ta) always was, always will be Aboriginal land.

This weblog pays respect to the ancestors and elders past, present, and emerging of the first Australian peoples and acknowledges their continued connection to land, sea and culture as the traditional custodians of this country.

Irish-born Thomas J. Nevin would have been keenly aware that the residence and photographic studio he occupied at No's 138-140 Elizabeth St. Hobart in the 1870s were built on the traditional lands, nipaluna of the palawa people. It is no small irony that today, the very same property, which is renumbered as No. 198 Elizabeth St. Hobart and is occupied by the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre, has returned to its traditional owners.

Looking east from the corner of Patrick St., the Royal Standard Hotel, 142 Elizabeth St. then T. J. Nevin’s studio and residence, 140-138 Elizabeth St. Hobart, 1870s

We also acknowledge the Gadigal people of the Eora nation as the traditional custodians of the City of Sydney, and the Ngunnawal and Ngambri peoples, the traditional custodians of the Kamberri/Canberra region on whose lands this site is maintained.

PLEASE NOTE: images on this weblog represent deceased people, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Viewing such images may cause sadness and distress.

DISCLAIMER: We have not voluntarily contributed to any publication which supports the misattribution of T. J. Nevin's prisoner/convict photographs (300+ extant) to the non-photographer A. H. Boyd, nor do we condone any attempts by public institutions or private individuals to co-opt the work on these Thomas J. Nevin weblogs and associated sites to apply the misattribution.

Our 20th Anniversary 2005-2025

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TWENTY YEARS ago (before 2005 actually) we started blogging about Tasmanian photographer Thomas J. Nevin (1842-1923). We look forward to another year or so as the project draws closer to completion. Contributions and donations are most welcome, and many thanks for your involvement.

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Anthony Trollope at Port Arthur

Thomas Nevin's VIP commission 1872

VISIT TO PORT ARTHUR.- Mr. Trollope and the Hon. Howard Spensly, Esq., Solicitor-General of Victoria, accompanied the Hon. the Premier, J.M. Wilson, Esq., and the Hon. the Attorney-General, W.R. Giblin, Esq., embarked in the Government schooner late last night, some time after Mr. Trollope had concluded his lecture on "Modern Fiction, as a recreation for young people," and left for Port Arthur. Their visit to the Peninsula will be a very hurried one, and will afford them only scant opportunity of inspecting the penal establishment, it being the intention of Messrs. Trollope and Spensly to leave Hobart Town for the North, en route for Victoria in a few days ...

Source: The Mercury 2 February 1872