'Pioneer Settler' by Kerry and Co
Object No. 85/1284-777
This image from a glass plate negative published in 1907 and entitled 'Pioneer Settler' depicts Lucy Sawtell and her children Edna, Ella (seated) and Ina in front of a cottage in the Dorrigo area of New South Wales. Throughout the 1800s and much of the 1900s women living and working on Australian farms were little acknowledged for their contribution. Often they physically helped their husbands to clear the land, build the house, and enclose the farm with heavy post and rail fences. They added the feminine touch to the interior of outback cottages, slab huts and even tents. Once a cow had been purchased it was the women who looked after its milking, separating the cream and churning the butter. (Men on their own usually lived on salt, meat, rice, treacle and tea without milk.) Poultry were raised for eggs and both butter and milk were sold at the local store to buy small luxuries. Even up to the 1960s selling eggs, cream and butter to local shops was a way of making extra money for farmer's wives to buy small luxuries for themselves and extras for the children. Many women had to work long and hard on selections. They were often left to run the farm while their husbands took on seasonal work like shearing or sugar cane cutting to boost their small incomes. Dust, drought, floods, heat, flies, loneliness and bushfires were regularly experienced and endured. Margaret Simpson, Curator July 2017 Around 1905 large tracts of Crown Land in the Dorrigo area were subdivided for farming and it is likely that this image was taken during this settlement period. Sandra McEwen, Curatorial, 2008 This 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. Geoff Barker, Curatorial, November 2008 References David, Millar, Charles Kerry's Federation Australia, Sydney, David Ell Press, 1981
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Summary
Object Statement
Photographic negative, entitled 'Pioneer Settler' depicting Lucy Sawtell and her children in front of a cottage, Dorrigo district, New South Wales, Australia, glass / gelatin emulsion, published by Kerry and Co, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 1907
Physical Description
Photographic negative, entitled 'Pioneer Settler' depicting Lucy Sawtell and her children in front of a cottage, Dorrigo district, New South Wales, Australia, glass / gelatin emulsion, published by Kerry and Co, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 1907 Silver gelatin dry plate glass negative in landscape format. The image depicts a settler's family near Dorrigo in New South Wales. A house is depicted in the centre of the image, it is a wood and corrugated iron structure with a verandah at the front and a chimney on the left side. The land immediately around the house has been cleared and trunks from felled trees are visible. A horsedrawn vehicle, called a sulky, can be seen to the right of the house and a fence constructed of wood posts and wire mesh can be seen in front of the house. A woman and three small children are depicted near a tree trunk in the foreground of the image. The people depicted are Lucy Sawtell (nee Frost) (b 1878) wife of Henry Charles Sawtell, Edna (b 1901), Ella (seated) (b 1902), Ina (b 1904) and George (b 1905) standing beside chimney near house.Tall stands of trees are depicted behind the house in the background of the image. The caption, studio mark and studio number are inscribed on the reverse of the negative. 53/19 Tyrrell Inventory Number, 1674 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 and 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 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 photographed the Jenolan caves. By 1900 Kerry had turned his studio into one of the largest and most respected photographic establishments in the colony. His new four story premises at 310 George St were designed by the 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, unfortunately 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 David, Millar, 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' once owned by Sydney bookseller, James Tyrrell. Almost all of these negatives are 21.5 x 20.3 cm (10 x 8 inch) glass plates and many of those now held by the Powerhouse Museum collection 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 but 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 who published a limited series of 2000 contact prints from the collection. Housed in boxes 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 themselves. The collection at this time consisted of 7,903 glass plate negatives and 7,916 contact positive prints. Of these 493 glass plates were damaged but usable and 13 plates totally broken. A further 2,500 Kerry & Co. negatives are held in the Macleay Museum at the University of Sydney. Geoff Barker, Curatorial, November 2008 References Newton, Gael, Shades of Light; Photography and Australia 1839 - 1988, Australian National Gallery, Canberra, 1988 David, Millar, 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 Valdon, 'Our Artistic Workers; Mr. George Bell', Australian Photographic Journal, Volume 17, Number 199, December 21, 1908
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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