When Ballarat was in its infancy photography was a new science.

Our first experience was with Daguerreotype's. 'The Story of the Camera in Australia' tells us that Daguerre disclosed the secrets of his process to the French Academy in August 1839 and he was granted a pension of five thousand francs a year by the French Government on the condition he gave his process to the world, free. Hearing that Talbot was about to take out a patent on his own process Daguerre took out a patent in England and most of the Englishmen who wished to buy licences to use the process, went to Paris and took lessons from Daguerre himself.

However full details of his methods had been published and there was nothing to prevent anyone with a knowledge of chemistry from experimenting with it and it is believed that the first photograph was taken in Australia in Sydney on the 15th May 1841.

The process was described, 'By means of the transmission of the sun's rays upon a plate of glass lined with a chemical solution a faithful picture is formed, upon a small scale. This picture remains permanently fixed until erased and may be copied for the purpose of lithography or engraving.' The article concluded 'It would be worth the attention of any curious reader to ascertain when the instrument will be next used, for the purpose of witnessing its apparently miraculous effects.' It appears the report was wrong in that Daguerreotypes were not made on glass but on silver plates, as attempts on glass came much later. Each photo required an individual sitting.

Progress came to Melbourne when Sydney photographer G.B. Goodman arrived in August 1845. For one guinea you could obtain a portrait in a handsome gilt and morocco case.

The Wet Plate was an extension of Talbot's process which consisted of sensitising a sheet of paper in nitrate of silver, exposing it in the camera, and then developing up a negative image. Therefore a number of copies could be made.

The wet plate had to be used whilst it was wet or it was useless, it only had an effective life of two or three minutes however this process was used between about 1855 and the 1880's. Exposure time was about six seconds.

The Dry Plate came into use about 1885 and had a sensitive life of at least two years. It was about ten times as fast as the wet plate and could use exposures of one hundredth of a second.

Early Ballarat historian William Bramwell Withers gives us an insight into our early Ballarat photographers. 'Photography was a very early form of localised pictorial art in Ballarat, that is if photography be an art, a question which is left for Experts to discuss. William Ellis was the first Ballarat photographer. He was a bricklayer, who had emigrated from Liverpool to Port Natal, crossed over to Victoria in 1853, worked at his trade in Melbourne, picked up the rudiments of photography there, and settled on the Red Hill, Ballarat in 1855. In December 1855, a daguerreotypist named Rochlitz had a 'studio' near the Golden Fleece hotel in Lydiard Street. His place was a two storeyed wooden house (adjoining the south side of the George hotel). Messrs Cowley and J. Noble Wilson subsequently practised photography there with Rochlitz as assistant.



About that time, or a few months later, when Lola Montez was in Ballarat, an American Daguerreotypist practised a little while, and issued some rather free and easy photographs of the famous strolling player of so many experiences. Cowley and Wilson also had on view daguerreotypes of Lola, A.M. Quinn, and other celebrities of the day.




Madame Charpiot daguerrotyped also in Bridge Street, and Fenton, Coldrey and Co. practised in collodian near what was then the horse bazaar, in the Main Road. Ellis sold his business to A.V. Smith. After that came Solomon & Bardwell, then Roberts Bros., then Wright, then Glenny, then Silverlock, then Willetts, then Richards & Co., then Chuck, then Williams.' The last mentioned four were actively involved in the late 1880's.

In the late 1850's there were a number of photographers working in Ballarat East. Cooper & McConvill were at 36 Main Road, Fenton & Coldrey were at 201 Main Road and Louis Grunthall, Saul Solomon, J. Cleverdon, Ellis & Smith, and A.V. Smith were also listed as Main Road. By the mid 1860's Thos. Flintoff was in Sturt Street as were Solomon & Bardwell and J. Wright whilst George Lyons was in Lydiard Street, A.V. Smith in Bridge Street and William Silverlock was in Main Road.

Flintoff was advertising the 'Tyne Side Photographic Gallery (opposite the Star Office) Sturt St. Thomas Flintoff, Artist, notifies to the public that he has opened the above large, new, and commodious premises, with a select stock of photographic material, new instruments and all appliances for the production of Photographs from Miniature to Life Size. Portraits in Oil, Crayon, and Water Colour executed on the premises. SUPERIOR CARTES DE VISITE, with every new improvement. FLINTOFF'S INFALLOTYPE, Coloured in Oil, warranted superior in Permanancy, Magnificence, and Beauty to any Photograph produced in the Colony. Oil Paintings Cleaned and Renovated.'

The renowned Solomon & Bardwell, many of whose photographs have survived locally and at the LaTrobe Library Melbourne also advertised as being at High Street, Maryborough. In the mid 1860's both Flintoff's and Solomon & Bardwell's studios were in Sturt Street between Grenville and Albert Street, whilst A.V. Smith was nearby on the south side of Bridge Street. In the early 1860's Solomon & Bardwell took a series of photos from the gas works site and the post office and town hall towers also provided prominent photographic vantage points.

Early historian Nathan Spielvogel gives us an insight into William Bardwell. He recorded that in the 1870's Bardwell was the leading photographer in Ballarat, he was a tall, jolly, sporting man who was always out for a bit of fun. He imported a Bramah bull from India and drove it in harness around the streets and around the gardens which created a local saying, 'He's as barmy as Bardwell's Bramah Bull.'



Later Ballarat's most prominent photographer was a Londoner, Thomas Foster Chuck. He was described as 'a distinguished looking man with a fine head and was rather like Charles Dickens in his younger days' who came to Melbourne in 1863. In 1876 he sold his Melbourne studio to Nicholas Caire and settled in Ballarat, his son Thomas Henry Chuck was also a photographer who continued the business after his fathers death.

Photography was so innovative in our early days that it rated numerous descriptions in the newspapers, however the long exposure time made photographing crowds difficult. Regarding the laying of the foundation stone of our second Town Hall the Ballarat 'Star' recorded in August 1860 that photographs and lithographs have been made of the architect's complete design by Messrs. Solomon & Bardwell and by Messrs Deutsch & Co.

On the day of the laying of the stone the 'Star' endeavoured to assist the photographer with his difficult task. Their report included 'At a convenient moment a signal will be given by sound of bugle or by other means, when Messrs Solmon & Bardwell will be ready with their apparatus to take a photograph of the scene, and at this given time every person is requested to aid the artist by keeping as motionless as possible during the few seconds the picture is being taken.'


THE OLD TOWN HALL C.1860

During their description of the actual laying of the stone the paper recorded, 'Mr. Solomon had his camera on the roof of the old Fire Brigade house, and at a given signal took a photograph of the scene just as the stone had been laid.'

On Saturday August 25, 1860 the 'Star' recorded, 'We have had an opportunity of inspecting the photograph, taken by Messrs Solomon & Bardwell, of the late ceremony of laying the foundation stone of the new Town Hall, and must say that artist has been very successful considering the difficulties under which he laboured. Of course, whoever or whatever moved at the time the picture was taking has been derived of photographic immortality in connection with the scene, but those who were motionless have the pleasure of seeing themselves in this cleverly done momento of the day in question. We easily recognise several gentlemen in the middle of the picture, and the ladies in the gallery are, we should say, as easily recognised by those who have the honor of their acquaintance. Indeed as is very proper, the fair occupants of the gallery have decidedly the best of it at the hands of the photographers, a result due, we presume, as much to the favourable position of the ladies as to the artistic gallantry of the operators.'

The monthly review of the 'Star' gave an insight into the future of the photo when it included, 'A photograph of the complete design, as also of the foundation stone ceremony, were taken by Messrs. Solomon & Bardwell, and will be probably published in the Illustrated London News.'