POWERHOUSE COLLECTION

Glass plate negative of a Buffalo Pitts steam traction engine hauling timber wagons in New South Wales, 1890-1917

Glass plate negative of a Buffalo Pitts steam traction engine hauling timber wagons in New South Wales, 1890-1917

Object No. 85/1284-1610

This photograph, taken from a glass plate negative, shows a steam traction engine pulling two wagons loaded with posts in country New South Wales. Steam traction engines were self-propelled steam engines which burnt fuel, usually wood when used in Australia, and raised steam in a locomotive-type boiler. As well as pulling heavy wagons, they cleared land and powered well-boring equipment, threshing machines, saws and pumps until the 1920s. Most traction engines used in Australia were heavy, well-built English ones. American engines like this one made in Buffalo, New York, by the Buffalo Pitts Co., were popular because they were lighter, cheaper and used less water and fuel. The photographic negative was published by the Sydney firm Charles Kerry & Co. and is part of the Powerhouse Museum's Tyrrell collection which contains over 2,900 glass plate negatives by Kerry & Co. Although a few appear to be from the 1880s most were produced between 1892 and 1917. Over this period, and well into the early 1900s, prints from these negatives appeared in many Australian publications and albums of views. In 1903 the company began producing postcards from these negatives, further establishing the images as some of the most significant and best known early views of New South Wales. Some of the more significant themes covered by the collection include; views of New South Wales, Queensland, country towns, Sydney, Indigenous Australians, the South Pacific, rural life, native flora and fauna, and sentimental views. In addition a number of significant events from the 1900s are covered by the collection including; embarkation of troops for the Boer War, Hordens fire, the Inauguration of the Commonwealth in 1901, the arrival of the Great White Fleet and the Burns versus Johnson boxing match at Rushcutters Bay in 1908. Geoff Barker, Curatorial, January, 2009 Additional information, Margaret Simpson, Curator, 2014 References Newton, Gael, Shades of Light; Photography and Australia 1839 - 1988, Australian National Gallery, Canberra, 1988 Millar, David, Charles Kerry's Federation Australia, Sydney, David Ell Press, 1981 Tyrrell, James, Australian Aboriginal and South Sea Islands Implements, Weapons and Curios, James Tyrrell, Sydney, 1929

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Summary

Object Statement

Glass plate negative, full plate, entitled 'Steam Engine Hauling Posts and Rails', depicting a Buffalo Pitts steam traction engine hauling two timber wagons, photograh by Kerry and Co, Sydney, Australia, c. 1884-1917

Physical Description

Glass plate negative, full plate, entitled 'Steam Engine Hauling Posts and Rails', depicting a Buffalo Pitts steam traction engine hauling two timber wagons, photograh by Kerry and Co, Sydney, Australia, c. 1884-1917 Silver gelatin dry plate glass negative in landscape format. The caption, studio number and studio mark are inscribed on the reverse of the negative. The negative is not fully catalogued. 55/63 Tyrrell Inventory Number, 3039 Kerry Studio Number

DIMENSIONS

Width

215 mm

PRODUCTION

Notes

Charles Kerry was born in 1858 and by 1885 was running a studio in partnership with C. D. Jones. This partnership lasted until 1892, when Charles became sole owner and changed the studio's name to Kerry and Co. By 1890 the company was employing a number of photographers who would become famous in their own right. George Bell, who covered rural New South Wales, was employed in 1890. Harold Bradley was doing outdoor work and covering events around Sydney by 1899. Kerry continued to work in the field and in 1895 he took photographs of Royal National Park for the New South Wales Government, photographed Queensland artesian bores and was employed by the New South Wales Government to travel the state and photograph Indigenous Australians. In 1897 Kerry led the first party to reach the summit of Mt Kosciuszko in winter conditions, and he photographed the Jenolan caves. By 1900 Kerry's studio was one of the largest and most respected photographic establishments in the colony. His new four storey premises at 310 George St were designed by architect H. C. Kent, and the third floor studios alone could accommodate 70 people wanting their portraits taken. In 1913 Kerry retired, leaving the running of the studio to his nephew. The business did not do well, and Kerry and Co closed its doors in 1917. Kerry himself died in 1928. Geoff Barker, Curatorial, January, 2009 References Newton, Gael, Shades of Light; Photography and Australia 1839 - 1988, Australian National Gallery, Canberra, 1988 Millar, David, Charles Kerry's Federation Australia, Sydney, David Ell Press, 1981 Tyrrell, James, Australian Aboriginal and South Sea Islands Implements, Weapons and Curios, James Tyrrell, Sydney, 1929

HISTORY

Notes

This photographic negative is one of 2900 Kerry & Co photographs in the Powerhouse Museum's Tyrrell Collection, which was once owned by Sydney bookseller James Tyrrell. Almost all of these negatives are 254 x 203 mm (10 x 8 inch) glass plates, and many of those now held by the Powerhouse Museum would have been used to create postcards. In addition to the Kerry & Co studio images, the Tyrrell Collection at the Powerhouse Museum includes glass plate negatives published by Henry King and a number of other negatives by unattributed photographers James Tyrrell used the images by Kerry & Co and Henry King to produce his own booklets and views of New South Wales. Although full of iconic Australian images, the collection does not appear to have been fully utilised by Tyrrell. In 1980 the collection was purchased by Australian Consolidated Press, which published a limited series of 2000 contact prints from it. Copies of these were given to the State Library of New South Wales and the Macleay Museum at the University of Sydney. In 1985 Australian Consolidated Press donated the collection to the Powerhouse, keeping a set of copy prints for itself. The collection at this time consisted of 7,903 glass plate negatives and 7,916 contact positive prints. A further 2,500 Kerry & Co negatives are held in the Macleay Museum at the University of Sydney. These do not appear to have been acquired from Charles Kerry and Co by Tyrrell. Geoff Barker, Curatorial, January, 2009 References Newton, Gael, Shades of Light; Photography and Australia 1839 - 1988, Australian National Gallery, Canberra, 1988 Millar, David, Charles Kerry's Federation Australia, Sydney, David Ell Press, 1981 Tyrrell, James, Australian Aboriginal and South Sea Islands Implements, Weapons and Curios, James Tyrrell, Sydney, 1929

SOURCE

Acquisition Date

19 July 1985

Copyright for the above image is held by the Powerhouse and may be subject to third-party copyright restrictions. Please submit an Image Licensing Enquiry for information regarding reproduction, copyright and fees. Text is released under Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivative licence.

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