Richard Daintree was a pioneering Australian geologist and photographer. He was the first Government geologist for North Queensland discovering gold fields and coal seams for future exploitation. Daintree went on to be Agent-General for Queensland in England and oversaw significant exhibitions of his photographs. We have updated our entries on Daintree on our website – click here
Thirty one years ago I included comments about Tracey Moffatt’s 1994 series Beauty within an essay I wrote for Fever Pitch, the 1995 monograph on Tracey’s artworks. In 2024 as a cultural gift valuer I had the opportunity to revisit the Beauty series.
I have uploaded an essay on Max Dupain’s Shattered Intimacy 1936. I had been intending to write this essay for many years. Let’s be honest — decades!
One more woman photographer profile has been added to our web site. This time Dorothy Izard. Along with Ruth Hollick, a member of the artistic community of Melbourne in the early 20th century. Click here for the link
I have uploaded a research essay triggered by seeing a photograph in an album I was assessing for auction. That was nine years ago. My interest in the image stayed with me and recently have I brought pieces of information together to identify the background to the photo in question.
I have uploaded a piece about photographers’ archives using the example of the fantastic work by Manuela Furci who was the Director for Rennie Ellis’ Archive. Click here.
We now live in Melbourne and have driven over the Hoddle Bridge many times travelling to the southern suburbs or on returning from a visit. The view above is taken from the southern side — now Punt Road. I have uploaded a short essay on this Jack Cato early 1940s photograph that is another from our collection. Click here for the essay.
I have uploaded an essay on a wonderful Polixeni Papapetrou photograph that only recently arrived into our collection and now hangs where we see it every morning while having our tea/ coffee. click here for the essay
We had a the pleasure recently of advising on a collection that included one of Australia’s photo-icons. Click here for my essay on this image and the background to the photo — by Axel Poignant.
I have researched and uploaded a piece about one of Axel Poignant’s favourite photographs, Mount Warning 1953. This led me into research about ring-barked trees and how artists have portrayed the dramatic change to the Australian landscapes — that may be the subject of another piece one day soon.
Meanwhile here’s the piece on this photograph — that is in our collection.
I have added a new page on the experience of lodging some archived copies of letters and the issue of dealing with research cards. Click here for that post
or here for the main page for Parting with your Art.
Not too long ago I was handed a letter written by John Kauffmann (Australian photographer 1864–1942). This personal correspondence offered a different insight into the personality of this significant Australian photographer. I wrote a small piece on this thought and have added it to our special web John Kauffman page. Click here.
We have uploaded a 2025 online version of the 2014 catalogue for Garden of the East.
Uploaded pages on John Thomson (born 14 June 1837–died 29 September 1921).
This includes a slightly revised essay I wrote for an Peranakan Museum Singapore exhibition and publication in 2028/2019. My emphasis was on John Thomson’s experiences in Singapore and how this shaped his later photography career. Click here
I have uploaded a set of pages honouring Leo Haks, a collector and researcher of Indonesian photography. It was his collection that the National Gallery of Australia purchased as the basis for new collections and subsequently the exhibition: Garden of the East. Click here for the link to the Leo Haks pages.
I have uploaded a 2025 online presentation of the catalogue for the 2008 exhibition, Pacific Paradise, at the National Gallery of Australia. It was fun to revisit these images and to think on those times spent bringing these collections together. Click here.
I have revised and added to an essay that was previously published in 2022 on Indonesian photography. In revisiting this work I was reminded of Leo Haks, the wonderful collector who we now miss and who was so much at the centre of how this collection came together. I hope to honour him soon with an essay and special online page or two.
My essay on Indonesian photography is online — click here.
I have written and uploaded a brief essay on an aspect of Jack Cato’s character portraits. This has been added to the special pages on Cato we have online (link below).
This task reminded me that there are other aspects of Cato’s photography that I have talked about and maybe need to also put down into another short essay or two.
Here’s a link to the ‘characters’ piece — click here
and also the link to our Jack Cato set of online resources.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
I have uploaded a piece about one of my most cherished photographs, Ruth Bernhard’s 1946 Dead Sparrow — click here
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.
We have updated the information on our website on Carol Jerrems. Loads of links.
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
Since moving to Melbourne Paul and I have visited exhibitions of photography and other media. The list includes:
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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
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!
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
I have uploaded some comments on Peter Adams’ 2021 book
A Few of The Legends — click here
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.
Comments and observations on a CVD of a nanny and two children — click here
Comments and observations on a striking portrait by the E.B. Mowll Studio — click here
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)
Have uploaded a page about my collection of photographer’s greeting cards that has been placed with the AGNSW Library — click here
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
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.
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.
This essay was originally published in the 2008 catalogue for the Vancouver Art Gallery exhibition — click here.
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
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.
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.
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
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
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
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.
Collection of photographs by William Henry Fox Talbot sells for nearly $2M.
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.
Updated 12 August 2020
Have uploaded new pages on Parting with Your Art — click here.
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.
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.
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.
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
Exhibition at GAGProjects (Adelaide) till 18 November 2018.
Click here for my essay and links to the exhibition page.
Wonderful day in the National Library of Australia. A chance to see some photographs by Charles Bayliss.
Opening on 12 October 2018
https://www.facebook.com/gael.newton/posts/10156457600544551
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.
Click on the image for more on this exhibition
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.
https://www.facebook.com/gael.newton/posts/10155960821949551
Sasha Grishin reviews National Library of Australia (Canberra) 2018 exhibition: Peter Dombrovskis — Journeys into the wild.
https://www.facebook.com/theARTMUSEum.PaulCostigan/posts/530866183911879
The Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) has revealed a visual of its new Photography Centre — click here
Agents of Empire: How E.L. Mitchell’s photographs shaped AustraliaFor 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?
Entries now invited
Continue reading William and Winifred Bowness Photography Prize
INFORMATION CALL-OUT: FRANK HURLEYSearching for Frank Hurley along our northern beaches
Did you know that Frank Hurley was a very keen gardener and photographer of wild flowers?
There’s a small exhibition at the National gallery of Australia.
click on banner for link to information about this great group of Australian photographers
George W Bell photographer (1920 — 2008) was member of Group M — in Melbourne.
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.
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.
Click here for the article on artdaily.
click on the image above for The Guardian story on Elton John’s collection
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.
Click on the image above for an article about the exhibition, New Zealnd Photography Collected on at Te Papa in Wellington, NZ.
