Thursday, December 29, 2016

IRISH FIND LEADS TO STRANGE TALE OF CRADLE AND PAINTINGS SNATCHING

Research  into  this  autographed  record  of  Irish  Ballads   by  tenor  Patrick O'Hagan , with Hal Stead  pounding away on  the ivories ,  manufactured by Cyril Stevens  Recording  Studios in Thornbury,  Melbourne, unexpectedly took  this  blog down many byways . In the process we  were able to gather  an    interesting snapshot  of   the  pioneering  Melbourne   Camera  Club   and  an unusual court  case  involving a  prominent  Australian   shipping  authority and an artistic  lady   deceived  by  a  young  rascal .
 
 The Melbourne Camera Club  was inspired  by Ludovico Hart , instructor of  photography at the Working Men's  College , harking  back  to 1891 .

Cyril Stevens,who appears to have been  an early professional Victorian photographer , his name appearing  on  snaps of   World War  l  soldiers ,   was  a prominent member of the Melbourne Camera  Club , receiving a gold medal and  diploma  for his involvement, taking out  prizes   from time  to time in competitions. In the 1930s he worked for the Northcote Leader newspaper and about  1951 started the  audio studios mentioned   above , which produced Spotlight microgroove  recordings , an early Melbourne independent label , possibly the  first . 

 The Patrick  O'Hagan record  seen here  was  produced in l954 , other albums by him  were turned  out  later, including one singing   Scottish tunes. Spotlight also recorded  Barry  Crocker.

An  A. E. Stevens received a gold watch  for past  services  as  honorary secretary to  the camera   club...not  known  what  relation , if any , to   inventive  Cyril . 
 
In 1921 the club was treated to a lecture and   slide show  on the  Northern  Territory by  H. B. Goeby,  member of a  survey  team , who spent months in the area, struggling about with his  photographic equipment  ; interesting photographs   included  "natives  still  to  be  found there.  "
  
Another popular  lecture  that year , Steamships, Ships  and   Wrecks, by marine painter , writer  and author  C. Dickson Gregory , covered the progress of shipping from  the days  of sail  to  modern times , with an outline  that covered most  of the ships that visited Australia waters , shipwrecks in  local waters and overseas  , building and  launching  of  new  luxury  liners .

That same  year, a  musician   ,  Charles Ernest Macalister Smith, 22,  was charged  with stealing four paintings valued  at twenty pounds  from    Gregory . An aspiring  artist , Smith , a friend of Gregory's  , had " obliterated" the name of the  artist   on  the  water  colours replacing them with  C. Mac. Smith ; one he gave  to  artist  friend  Mrs  Elsie Frederica Barlow , with studios in Collins Street, another to a Mrs Lippe  and  two  to  Barlow's brother-in-law , Marcus Barlow .

From the court report, it seems   one painting  was presented  by  Smith to Marcus  Barlow when  he (Smith )  was staying  at  his  residence , posing as a  returned  shell  shocked  soldier.

Court was  told    Mrs Elsie  Barlow   had  become engaged to Smith on December 9,1920, the relationship lasting  little more than two months .  When asked for her  age , she replied   41," I think . "  Further questioned  ,  she stated Smith  had told her he was  32 or 37 . Did she know he was a  youth of 21, defence asked . Mrs Barlow  replied  that  she did  not  know what  to  think .

A detective said Smith , who pleaded not guilty, told him he had taken  the  paintings in a weak moment , done in the spirit  of  a joke .The jury found him not guilty .

Gregory was a  founding member of the Ship Lovers' Society of Victoria , which spread  to  other  parts. A  report in a  Sydney newspaper in 1939   said   Gregory  of the Sheep Lovers' Society  had  just returned  from a trip  to North Queensland, Darwin and  Singapore  in search of  hulks  and ships  that were in service  in Australian  waters .  The spelling error  prompted  a statement by the  Maritime Worker  Australia  that  Gregory would  encounter a  plethora of  "sweethearts"   if he contacted  branches of the federation  who could show him  prime examples  of   ships  that  should NOT  be  like the condition they were  in . 

The  Sydney Public Library  has a  Gregory  maritime collection consisting of some  31  volumes   of  pictures , a series from original paintings, cuttings  and brochures .  

Camera Club Activities

In 1925 the camera   club contributed  42 pictures to an overseas amateur photographic  exhibition .  In a new  club room ,   a  l926   illustrated  lecture on Queensland  sugar industry   won a prize   for Mr  McMillan . There were  various field  trips , one to see the  Katoomba coming in to berth.
 
Other  subjects for lectures in the l920s  and  l930s  were Sculptures of the World , A World Wide Tour , Sydney Historic Buildings , Japan by R. Service   , the use of  the camera in training  airforce pilots   at  Point Cook Flying School , Across Central   Australia  by Captain J. E. Jenkins , China ,  wide ranging talks  by  Reverend H. M. Knuckey on  New Zealand ,  Egypt, Italy and  Norway.  
 
Tribal customs  of natives  and the potential of  the Northern Territory , were the subject of  a  talk  on  Central  Australia by  Mr   R. H. Croll in 1931.Croll, a writer,  poet , author ,   avid  bushwalker, made  six  trips to Central Australia . 

Artists who  contributed  to the club were Stephanie Taylor , painter and lecturer , a guide to the National Gallery of Victoria  , who  spoke on composition of photographs and  bohemian John Shirlow , etcher and teacher, who established the etching school at   Royal  Melbourne Technical College , art master at Scotch College ,  renowned  for  his etchings of  Melbourne streets.
Advert  found  inside  Queensland  op  shop  fitting  room .
With greater use of photographs in newspapers in 1932  , the head of the illustration department of the Argus and Australasian newspapers , Mr T. W. Brown , gave a lecture on  the   photo offset   and reproduction process  and   issued  an invitation  for members to  visit   him at work .

The club had contact with other such clubs  and  individual photographers in various parts of  Australia, including  Queensland. In  1947 ,  Cairns  photographer Lionel  Law  sent  25   prints  for a one man exhibition in the club rooms .

Guided by  a  friendly leprechaun , this record was  found  in Townsville , North Queensland .