On Our Collections
I have uploaded a piece about a painting I bought in 2024. It is a self portrait c1941 by Dorothy Bradford 1920 — 2016. Click here for my piece on this artist.
Category Archives: collections
John Williams Clovelly 1964
On Our Collections
I have uploaded a piece, written from our new home in Melbourne in May 2025, about life on the beach in Sydney 1964. click here
Wesley Stacey The Hermitage photos
On Our Collections
Hanging on our wall are two photographs taken by Wesley Stacey at The Hermitage — located north east of Melbourne. This was J.W. Lindt’s property with a guesthouse and extensive gardens. I have uploaded a piece about these two works. Click here.
On The Edge
Australian photographers of the Seventies
With the new interest in 1970s Australian photography, I remembered this exhibition that went to San Diego in 1995. Click here for my piece on this.
Carol Eyerman
researching a photographer
I have uploaded to our web site a piece on Carol Eyerman, a woman photographer who may have been overlooked in our photo histories despite her significant body of work with LIFE and others. Click here.
Ruth Bernhard
On Our Collections
I have uploaded a piece about one of my most cherished photographs, Ruth Bernhard’s 1946 Dead Sparrow — click here
Imagining A Real Australia
Book Launch at MAPh
This afternoon (Saturday 7 Dec) I had the pleasure of launching at the Museum of Australian Photography Stephen Zagala’s beautiful photography book — Imaging A Real Australia — about Australian documentary photography 1950 — 1980.
Carol Jerrems
Updating our online information
We have updated the information on our website on Carol Jerrems. Loads of links.
Research in the State Library of Victoria
Happy days!!
There are some beautiful places to visit and Victoria’s State Library is definitely one of them. Continue reading Research in the State Library of Victoria
Gibson’s Auction August 2024
The treat of auction exhibitions
Since moving to Melbourne Paul and I have visited exhibitions of photography and other media. The list includes:
Elaine Campaner, The Lake 2017 Copy
On Our Collections
A much loved work by Elaine Campaner (1969–2020) that has just taken pride of place on our walls in our new home in Melbourne. More on this work — click here.
John Albok
On Our Collections
A wonderful photograph by New York photographer, John Albok (1894–1982)
Another cherished photograph that sits on our walls in our Melbourne home.
More on this photograph — click here.
Oceania: From Melbourne to Papeete
Revisiting a 2019 entry to an exhibition catalogue
This piece was a difficult piece to write. The requirement was to survey 19th century photography across the Pacific in a few hundred words. Many hours were spent reducing the entry and making decisions on what to leave out — reluctantly! If I ever find the time I may revisit this and make it a much longer piece with all the extras inserted back in. Wishful thinking maybe? Here’s the original piece.
Rod McNicol, The Roses 2024
On Our Collections
When we moved, we dispersed some of our collections and said to ourselves that we should not buy any more. Then we saw this wonderful new work by Rod McNicol.
A previous notice for this was posted on Facebook — but their algorithm removed it. We have a theory. Click here for the original piece on our website
Elaine Campaner, The Lake 2017
On Our Collections
A much loved work by Elaine Campaner (1969–2020) that has just taken pride of place on our walls in our new home in Melbourne. More on this work — click here.
Klara Langer 1912–1973, Hungary
On Our Collections
Photography collections can be fun! I love good ‘table top’ works and we have a number in our collection. This is one — and I have written a small piece about it — click here
Update: Robert McFarlane Anzac Day
On Our Collection
An update on the previous article: Canberra colleagues have identified that the girl in the centre of the photograph is holding a Kodak Brownie Starlet — ‘Made in Australia’.
Now if only we knew who she was and does she have a photo of Robert McFarlane taking her photograph!
Robert McFarlane Anzac Day 1964
On Our Collection
I have uploaded a short piece about a Robert McFarlane photograph in our collection, Crowd lining the street on Anzac Day at Martin Place, Sydney, 1964.
Click here for the piece on our web site
Parting for Melbourne
Following our decision to move to Melbourne, we have packed up and cleaned out — and now have our home up for auction — this Saturday 4th November.
Click here for more on this.
Doctoral Compost
A few stories about recycling
Have uploaded a few stories and comments on recycling — sort of connected with my blog stories on Parting With Your Art. Click here for the latest.
Re-constructed Vision
Contemporary work with photography 25th July-23rd August, 1981
Over the recent years I have been searching through my archives for articles and essays that we have since published on our web-site. I had overlooked one exhibition. That was the 1981 Project Gallery exhibition Re-constructed Vision: Contemporary work with photography at the Art Gallery of New South Wales.
It is now uploaded to our web site.
camera chic
East West Chic
In 2017 The Asia Art Society of Australia (TAASA) hosted a seminar of East West Chic.
I presented a talk on Camera Chic based on a collection we had put together – with fun pictures from Asian studio portraiture. The collection highlighted the fusion of East and West evident in dress, accessories, and studio backdrops. Click here for more
Make sure you see the link to the powerpoint slides with loads of photographs to enjoy.
Peter Adams A Few of the Legends
My comments on Peter’s book
I have uploaded some comments on Peter Adams’ 2021 book
A Few of The Legends — click here
Parting with your art — library stories
A new upload to my blog about Parting With Your Art.
This time about a friend’s experience of parting with her library plus a tale from me about all those plastic folders. Click here.
On Our Collections
James Jameson circa 1866–84
Comments and observations on a CVD of a nanny and two children — click here
On Our Collections
E. B. Mowll – Portrait
Comments and observations on a striking portrait by the E.B. Mowll Studio — click here
revisiting Photo Files 1999
The 1999 reader contains 33 essays selected by Blair French, who was then program manager for the Australian Centre for Photography.
The texts had been previously published in the Centre of Photography’s journal — Photofile — that had been published since 1983. I wrote the preface to this publication. There’s a table of contents below my online essay along with links to information about photofile and the ACP. Click here for my essay.
cover image: Tracey Moffatt, Up In The Sky #3 1997 (detail)
Parting with your art — photographer’s cards
Have uploaded a page about my collection of photographer’s greeting cards that has been placed with the AGNSW Library — click here
Parting with Your Art ~ November 2021
An update on parting with my archives
Updated November 2021
Have uploaded more to Parting with Your Art — click here.
This new page is an update on my most recent experiences on parting with my own archive as well as some thoughts that may be useful to others dealing with these downsizing matters
For the full list of pages so far: Click here
Curators and Photography
Have uploaded to our photo-web site a special section on the first photography curators — Australian that is. We have listed four: Jennie Boddington, Ian North, Gael Newton (me!), and Alan Davies. The listings for Jennie and myself include 1983 interviews by the Australian Centre of Photography. These are very long! (you have been warned)
If you know of any other useful online material on these people, please make contact.
Typewriters I Have Known
In searching out my archive of essays, I came upon a draft of one about a technology tool that served me well… The Typewriter. Now updated — Click here.
Australian Pictorial Photography ~ Seeing The Light
Essay from Truth Beauty 2008
This essay was originally published in the 2008 catalogue for the Vancouver Art Gallery exhibition — click here.
CARTE-O-MANIA
National Portrait Gallery Canberra 2018–19 exhibition
For people interested in Australian CDVs, it is highly recommended that you get hold of the book that accompanied the 2018–1019 exhibition. Click here for a sample of the book
Spot On
the art of film stills photography, 1906–2001
I was approached by Penny Grist of the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra to advise on the 2017 exhibition — Starstruck. I then had the great experience of working with the co-curators Penny from the Portrait Gallery and Jenny Coombes of National Film and Sound Archive. This was a fun collaborative research experience — with my essay published in their book for the exhibition. Click here for the essay now online.
Michael Riley
The elders: Indigenous photography in Australia
The wonders of looking through your own archive. I realised I had not uploaded an essay from 2006 on Michael Riley. Have now — so here’s the link — click here.
Parting with Your Art ~ June 2021
Large Collections and Managing Expectations
Updated June 2021 Have uploaded more to Parting with Your Art — click here.
This page is about managing expectations, large collections, institutional collection policies, points for collectors approaching art museums and archives, recommended first steps — and more..
For the full list of pages so far: Click here
more on John Kauffmann
As I said in a previous post — I have been uploading my writings to my essay pages.
There is now an updated portal page for John Kauffmann — click here; that includes a link to my 1996 essay for the exhibition John Kauffmann Art Photographer
John Kauffmann
I have been uploading more of my writings to my essay pages.
Today I have uploaded a 1980 essay on John Kauffmann. Click here for this essay
Updating Parting with Your Art ~ April 2021
More Pages about Parting with Your Art
Updated April 2021
topics: Downsizing Collections; More on Capital Gains Tax; Finding new homes for my library. Have uploaded these new pages to Parting with Your Art — click here.
William Henry Fox Talbot
Collection of photographs by William Henry Fox Talbot sells for nearly $2M.
photoria
PHOTORIA, a new website that sheds light on the role of women in the history of Australian photography between 1850 and 1950. There is, overall, a broad disparity in the breadth of knowledge in favour of men in contrast to that of the women who populated the industry. This website is a resource to redress that disparity. Click on image for the website.
introducing Parting with Your Art
Pages about Parting with Your Art
Updated 12 August 2020
Have uploaded new pages on Parting with Your Art — click here.
parting with your art
watch this space
Will be writing up some experiences and thoughts about parting with your art. This will be based on my own experiences as well as many stories heard in recent years.
thousands of historic photographs online
Paris Musées launches online photography
Paris Musées, the public institution that manages all of the museums in Paris, has launched a new Collections portal with the public access to more than 100,000 high-resolution digital reproductions of classic artwork and photography.
Click here for the article on DP Review — or here for the portal
above image: 61 rue Saint-Louis-en-l’Ile, enseigne “Au petit Bacchus”. Paris (IVème arrondissement). Photographie d’Eugène Atget (1857–1927). Paris, musée Carnavalet.
20th-century Japanese photography
Hanran
Great looking exhibition — get me to Canada
An exhibition organized by the Yokohama Museum of Art in collaboration with the Canadian Photography Institute of the National Gallery of Canada.
Hanran: 20th-Century Japanese Photography
October 11, 2019 to Sunday, March 22, 2020
October 11, 2019 to Sunday, March 22, 2020
Click here for the link to the exhibition page — with images at the bottom of the page that can be enlarged..
Curatorland
Writing in the Rain, FX Harsono - Still from colour video 2011 Collection National Gallery of Australia
Following my leaving the National Gallery in September 2014, I was asked by the editor of the Journal of the Asian Arts Society Australia to write about my last decade at the gallery — the decade that saw the establishment of a survey collection of Asia-Pacific photography spanning from South Asia to the west coast of the Americas.
The new collection was largely based around major collections acquired from several major private collections of Asia-Pacific photography including one of some 5000 colonial-era Indonesian photographs.
Here’s that story — click here
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For the list of my other essays (being updated) click here
Mark Kimber
Exhibition: The River of Faces
Exhibition at GAGProjects (Adelaide) till 18 November 2018.
Click here for my essay and links to the exhibition page.
Charles Bayliss
Charles Bayliss 1879 panorama at NLA
Wonderful day in the National Library of Australia. A chance to see some photographs by Charles Bayliss.
V&A Photographic Centre
Photographic Centre opening date announced
Opening on 12 October 2018
Frank Hurley at Manly Art Gallery and Museum
https://www.facebook.com/gael.newton/posts/10156457600544551
Harold Edgerton at the Whitney
An exhibition notice for an exhibition at the Whitney Museum of American Art.
Click here for the link…
And for more on Harold Edgerton — see my 1999 paper for the catalogue at the National Gallery of Australia — click here.
Frank Hurley at Manly Art Gallery and Museum
Click on the image for more on this exhibition
Max Dupain
Links to essays on Max Dupain
We have uploaded a new page on photo-web that provides a link to my essays on Max Dupain as well as links to other articles and resources. Click here.
The Unflinching Gaze
https://www.facebook.com/gael.newton/posts/10155960821949551
Peter Dombrovskis
Peter Dombrovskis — Journeys into the wild.
Sasha Grishin reviews National Library of Australia (Canberra) 2018 exhibition: Peter Dombrovskis — Journeys into the wild.
Japanese images
https://www.facebook.com/theARTMUSEum.PaulCostigan/posts/530866183911879
V&A photographic centre
designs for new V&A Photography Centre
The Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) has revealed a visual of its new Photography Centre — click here
Joanna Sassoon
Agents of Empire: How E.L. Mitchell’s photographs shaped Australia
For nearly 100 years, E.L. Mitchell’s emblematic photographs have shaped ideas about Australia.
But who was Mitchell and why did he succeed above his competitors?
William and Winifred Bowness Photography Prize
MGA Call for entries
Entries now invited
Continue reading William and Winifred Bowness Photography Prize
Frank Hurley & Australian Native Plants
INFORMATION CALL-OUT: FRANK HURLEY
Searching for Frank Hurley along our northern beaches
Did you know that Frank Hurley was a very keen gardener and photographer of wild flowers?
NGA Photography
19thC photography in Japan
There’s a small exhibition at the National gallery of Australia.
Group M
Australian photographers — Melbourne 1959 – late 1960s
click on banner for link to information about this great group of Australian photographers
George W Bell
George W Bell: Australian photographer & painter
George W Bell photographer (1920 — 2008) was member of Group M — in Melbourne.
Wesley Stacey at the MGA
Exhibition: Wesley Stacey — The Wild Thing
Exhibition of 40 years of photographs by Wesley Stacey at the Monash Gallery of Art, 4th March — 28 April 2017 — click here for pictures of the opening and other comments.
National Museum of Norway, photography
Documentary and portrait photography
National Museum in Norway exhibition on documentary and portrait photography.
The Art of great window display
Wesley Stacey
Exhibition notice: The Wild Thing
Exhibition of 40 years of photographs by Wesley Stacey at the Monash Gallery of Art, 4th March — 28 April 2017 — click here for details.
For more on Wesley — click here.
Albert Renger-Patzsch
Nassau County and the art of photography
Nassau County Museum of Arts devotes all galleries to the art of photography
Click here for the article on artdaily.
Sir Elton John’s photography collection
Elton John on his photography collection
click on the image above for The Guardian story on Elton John’s collection
photography and the V&A
The V&A as a centre for photography
An update on the move of the Royal Photography Society’s collection to the V&A — and the V&A as a centre for photography. click here.
Elton John’s Photos at the Tate
Photographs of 1930s China by Stanley O. Gregory
New Zealand photography at Te Papa
Click on the image above for an article about the exhibition, New Zealnd Photography Collected on at Te Papa in Wellington, NZ.