The QVMAG Prisoners Collection

THOMAS J. NEVIN 1870s
JOHN WATT BEATTIE 1916



Prisoner SMITH, William per Rodney 3
QVMAG Collection
Photographer: Thomas J. Nevin 1874
Verso stamped with Nevin’s Royal Arms government contractor stamp

These police mugshots taken by police and commercial photographer Thomas J. Nevin in the 1870s-80s at the Port Arthur prison, the Hobart Gaol (assisted by his brother Constable John Nevin) and the Hobart Municipal Police Office (Mayor's Court, Hobart Town Hall) are held in the John Watt Beattie Collection at the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery, Launceston, Tasmania. Most are Nevin's originals and duplicates produced in vignette carte-de-visite format; some were reproduced from Nevin's glass negatives by Beattie for sale and exhibition in Hobart at his museum and in Sydney at the Royal Hotel in conjunction with convictaria from the fake prison ship Success (1916). An exhibition of these photographs by T. J. Nevin was held at the QVMAG in 1977.









Forty prints of 1870s Tasmania prisoners in three panels
Original prints of negatives by T. J. Nevin 1870s
Reprints by J. W. Beattie ca. 1915
QVMAG Collection: Ref : 1983_p_0163-0176

These forty photographs in three frames were listed for sale in Beattie’s Port Arthur Museum Catalogue (1916) as item no. 69:
69. Three Frames containing 40 photographs taken at Port Arthur, showing types of Imperial Prisoners there.
See these articles:
At least fifty more of these prisoner photographs from the 1870s which were originally held in the QVMAG collection were removed in 1983 for an exhibition at the Port Arthur heritage site and not returned, deposited instead at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, Hobart. Only 72 cdvs of the much larger donation from Beattie's estate in the 1930s are now extant at the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery, Launceston. Click here to view the TMAG collection digitised for KLW NFC Imprint (2015). The majority of the prisoner photographs held at the QVMAG and the TMAG bear a pencilled number on the front. Those numbers appearing as missing prisoner photographs on the QVMAG lists of 1-300 convict cdvs which were originally archived at the QVMAG in Beattie’s collection had been physically removed from the QVMAG collection in 1983 by Elspeth Wishart for a display and exhibition at the Port Arthur Heritage Site.

The list of the Beattie collection with missing numbers (received here in 2005):







The list of the remaining 72 Tasmanian prisoner “portraits” in the Beattie Collection 2005 (QVMAG)
The numbers pencilled on the right show those which were removed in 1983 and taken to Port Arthur for an exhibition, but were returned to the TMAG and not the QVMAG .
Copyright © KLW NFC Imprint 2005

BLACK & WHITE copies, QVMAG collection:

Police mugshots taken by Thomas J. Nevin 1870s-80s at the Hobart Gaol and Hobart Municipal Police Office (Mayor's Court, Hobart Town Hall). A selection from the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery, Launceston, Tasmania. Exhibition held in 1977 at the QVMAG.Humphries, William at QVMAG vignette cdv

William Humphries
Doe, Ephraim at QVMAGDoe, Ephraim at QVMAG vignette cdv

Ephraim Doe
Fleming, Thomas at QVMAG 1985_P_0067fleming

Thomas Fleming

Tuck, Bewley at QVMAG Tuck, Bewley at QVMAG vignette cdv

Bewley Tuck

Yeomans, William at QVMAG Yeomans, William at QVMAG

William Yeomans

George Nutt as White at QVMAG George Nutt aka White at QVMAG

George White alias Nutt

Graham, Joseph at QVMAGStabbing 12 months 24-9-78 Graham, Joseph at QVMAGStabbing 12 months 24-9-78

Joseph Grahame

Merchant, John at QVMAG Merchant, John at QVMAG

John Merchant

Hunt, Nathan Larceny 9-1-79 at QVMAG Hunt, Nathan at QVMAG

Nathan Hunt

Burley, William at QVMAG Burley, William at QVMAG

William Burley

Kerswell, John at QVMAG Kerswell, John at QVMAG

John Kerswell

Petts, Charles at QVMAG Petts, Charles at QVMAG

Charles Petts

Singleton, Henry aka Pincers, Richard at QVMAG Singleton, Henry aka Pincers, Richard at QVMAG

Henry Singleton (aka Richard Pinches)

O'Brien, John at QVMAG O'Brien, John at QVMAG

John O'Brien

Jones, James at QVMAG Jones, James at QVMAG

James Jones (aka Brocklehurst)

Dwyer, Micheal aka Kennedy at QVMAG Dwyer, Micheal aka Kennedy at QVMAG

Michael Dwyer

Saunders, James at QVMAG Saunders, James at QVMAG

James Saunders

Roberts, Henry at QVMAG Roberts, Henry at QVMAG

Henry Roberts

Welham, William at QVMAG Welham, William at QVMAG

William Welham

Connolly, or Conly, James at QVMAG Connolly, or Conly, James at QVMAG

James Connolly

Clems, William at QVMAG Clems, William at QVMAG

William Clemo

Gould, John at QVMAG Gould, John at QVMAG

John Gould

Harrigan or Sullivan, Michael at QVMAG Harrigan or Sullivan, Michael at QVMAG

Michael Harrigan or Horrigan and Sullivan, transported as Michael Lynch

Turner, William at QVMAG Turner, William at QVMAG

William Turner

Saunders, Thomas at QVMAG Saunders, Thomas at QVMAG

Thomas Saunders

1985_P_0092_versodownescharles 1985_P_0092downes

Charles Dawnes (correct spelling is Downes)

Corbett, Richard at QVMAG Corbett, Richard at QVMAG

Richard Corbeth

1985_P_0094_versoforsterwmbrown 1985_P_0094forsterwmiebrown

William Forster (aka Charles Brown)

McNally, James at QMAG McNally, James at QMAG

James McNally

McKay or Ross, William at QVMAG McKay or Ross, William at QVMAG

William McKay or Ross

Woods, Alexander at QVMAG Woods, Alexander at QVMAG

Alexander Woods

Todd, James at QVMAG Todd, James at QVMAG

James Todd

Finlay or Finelly, John at QVMAG Finlay or Finelly, John at QVMAG

John Finlay

Curtis, William at QVMAG Curtis, William at QVMAG

William Curtis - reconvicted as John Curtis, manslaughter 1856

Ray, Edward at QVMAG Ray, Edward at QVMAG

Edward Ray

Baker, William alias Whittaker at QVMAG Baker, William alias Whittaker at QVMAG

William Baker

Marsden, William at QVMAG Marsden, William at QVMAG

William Marsden

Funt, John at QVMAG Funt, John at QVMAG

John Funt

Foley, James at QVMAG Foley, James at QVMAG

James Foley

Piper, Emanuel at QVMAG Piper, Emanuel at QVMAG

Emmanuel Piper

Neill, George at QVMAG Neill, George at QVMAG

George Neill aka Neale

Killeen, Peter at QVMAG Killeen, Peter at QVMAG

Peter Killeen

Walker, William at QVMAG Walker, William at QVMAG

William Walker

Page, James at QVMAG Page, James at QVMAG

James Page

Garforth or Garfitt, Charles at QVMAG Garforth or Garfitt, Charles at QVMAG

Charles Garforth/Garfitt

Donovan, John at QVMAG Donovan, John at QVMAG

John Donovan

Harrison, Thos at QVMAG Harrison, Thos at QVMAG

Thomas Harrison
Jackson, Thomas at QVMAG Jackson, Thomas at QVMAG

Thomas Jackson

Clifford, Charles at QVMAG Breaking and entering 3 yrs 10-12-78 Clifford, Charles at QVMAG Breaking and entering 3 yrs 10-12-78

Charles Clifford

Steventon, Charles at QVMAG Steventon, Charles  at QVMAG

Charles Steventon

Blanchfield, J. N (W?). at QVMAG Blanchfield, J. N (W?). at QVMAG

J. W. Blanchfield

Page, Thomas at QVMAG Page, Thomas at QVMAG

Thomas Page

Hamsbury or Hansbury, Martin at QVMAG Hamsbury or Hansbury, Martin at QVMAG

William Hansbury

Murphy, Micheal at QVMAG Murphy, Micheal at QVMAG

Michael Murphy

Brown, John at QVMAG Brown, John at QVMAG

John Brown

Barnes, John at QVMAG Barnes, John at QVMAG

John Barnes

O'Brien, Stephen at QVMAG O'Brien, Stephen at QVMAG

Stephen O'Brien

Cocker or Cosker, Richard at QVMAGCocker or Cosker, Richard at QVMAG

Richard Cosker or Cocker

Rosetta, Charles at QVMAGRosetta, Charles at QVMAG

Charles Rosetta

Morgan, James at QVMAGMorgan, James at QVMAG

James Morgan

1985_P_0127_versograntpatrGrant, Patrick at QVMAG, photographed by Nevin at the Supreme Court 14 Feb 1872

Patrick Grant

Kelly, Thomas at QVMAGKelly, Thomas or Moran at QVMAG

Thomas Kelly

Aylward, Philip at QVMAGAylward, Philip at QVMAG

Philip Aylward

Robinson, George at QVMAGRobinson, George at QVMAG

George Robinson

Smith, William per Gilmore (3), verso with Nevin gov't stamp at QVMAGSmith, William per Gilmore (3) verso with Nevin gov't stamp at QVMAG

William Smith per Gilmore 3

Williams, John at QVMAGWilliams, John at QVMAG

John Williams

Woodley, William at QVMAGWoodley, William at QVMAG

William Woodley

Broadmore, Henry or Brown, at QVMAGBroadmore, Henry or Brown, at QVMAG

Henry Broadmore

Dunn, William at QVMAGDunn, William at QVMAG

William Dunn

Perry, Peter at QVMAGPerry, Peter at QVMAG

Peter Perry

THE FORTY ORIGINAL PAPER PRINTS from the three panels:









































Photos courtesy of the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery 2015.
Copyright © KLW NFC 2015 ARR

These same original 1870s prints were copied at the QVMAG in the 1980s as black and white photographs, considerably cleaned of scratches and cracks.

Chris Long's long con
Amateur historian Chris Long spent a few weeks at the QVMAG in Launceston in 1985 re-photographing as black & white prints the 40 uncut cdvs of prisoners taken by Nevin in the 1870s  (those on the three panels, example above), fogging out cracks and scratches on the sepia originals in the process for reasons only known to himself, since they serve no purpose, unless he single-mindedly decided to muddy their provenance as Nevin's, and their primary function as police mugshots, in order to cover up his stupid error in proclaiming that Nevin didn't take the photos, contradicting historical evidence and the experts in the field, and that they were taken by the Commandant at Port Arthur, A. H. Boyd,  never before heard of as a "photographer" by anyone for the simple reason he wasn't one. No photograph of prisoners or of any other subject in any genre was ever attributed to the non-photographer A. H. Boyd prior to Chris Long's long game of gambling his reputation on this silly claim. Chris Long's impulse as usual was to satisfy his personal need to imprint his own fantasy on primary historical documents until the facts about them all but disappear under his gifted amateur touch (gifting  himself and grifting others in the process). The originals of the 40 uncut cdvs had been removed from the prisoners' Hobart Gaol rap sheets of the 1870s by John Watt Beattie and pasted in three panels for exhibition and sale in 1916.

A selection of the QVMAG collection of these mugshots was exhibited at the Art Gallery of NSW in 1976 and at the QVMAG in 1977 as the work of Thomas J. Nevin . All of the prisoners in the photographs mounted as cdvs had been named by that date - some incorrectly - by archivists either for the 1934 exhibition in memory of John Watt Beattie and his convictaria collection, or by the curatorial staff there in 1958, in 1977, in 1983-5, and 1991 - dates which appear either on the versos or in the accession sheets of public institutions which received Nevin's originals, Nevin's duplicates, or Beattie's copies. The Archives Office of Tasmania holds similar images, both originals and copies, and some are of unidentified prisoners, although the same man in the same print is identified in the QVMAG collection. All men pictured in the mugshots held at the National Library of Australia in Canberra - and many picture the same men as those listed in the QVMAG collection and in the National Library's collection - were identified on accession in 1962, 1982 and 1985, including the identity of the photographer T. J. Nevin, indicating clearly that the NLA received its collection from Tasmania.

The prints below are Chris Long's cleaned-up black & white reprints from Nevin's 1870s sepia prints which Beattie had pasted in three panels, and which Long reproduced in 1985 at the QVMAG, their purpose known only to Long himself. Most of these prisoners have been identified. With some patience, the prisoners in these reproductions at the QVMAG (1985) can be identified by collating the sepia uncut originals (1870s) with the original carte-de-visite prints inside oval buff mounts (1870s-1880s) held at the QVMAG,  TMAG, and NLA, leaving a bundle who remain unidentified.

Dunn, William print from negative at QVMAGprint from negative at QVMAG

John Gould : print from negative at QVMAGHainsbury, Martin: print from negative at QVMAG

Leathley, George,print from negative at QVMAG1985_P_0143nonameharrisonp99

print from negative at QVMAGprint from negative at QVMAG

print from negative at QVMAGFunt,print from negative at QVMAG

print from negative at QVMAG1985_P_0149nonamebrady11

print from negative at QVMAGDoran, Alfred transported as Dorman, Archibaldprint from negative at QVMAG

print from negative at QVMAGprint from negative at QVMAG

print from negative at QVMAG1985_P_0155nonamehenrysmith8tmag

print from negative at QVMAGprint from negative at QVMAG

Gilmore, Micheal: print from negative at QVMAG, vignette at NLAprint from negative at QVMAG

print from negative at QVMAG1985_P_0161downes

print from negative at QVMAGMoran, John: print from negative at QVMAGvignette held at NLA

print from negative at QVMAGprint from negative at QVMAG

print from negative at QVMAGprint from negative at QVMAG

McNally, James: print from negative at QVMAG1985_P_0169flemingthomas193

print from negative at QVMAGprint from negative at QVMAG

print from negative at QVMAGMerchant, John: print from negative at QVMAG

Killeen, Peter, print from negative at QVMAG, cdv at NLAprint from negative at QVMAG

print from negative at QVMAG