DOUGLAS STEWART FINE BOOKS LTD HOBART BOOK FAIR was held on February 12 – 13, 2011 with three items on sale pertaining to Thomas J. Nevin’s commercial photography.

The first was this stereograph attributed to Samuel Clifford but ostensibly showing Clifford’s camera. Who took the photograph? Did Clifford carry two cumbersome cameras with him into this dense bush setting at Brown’s River, or was he accompanied – as so often he was around Tasmania – by Nevin? If so, the stereograph deserves the double attribution of Clifford & Nevin, an inscription which appears on several items also held in private collections.

Below: Catalogue detail of image

CATALOGUE ENTRY
25. CLIFFORD, Samuel (1827-1890). On Brown’s River: Mr.
Clifford’s camera. Stereoscopic albumen print photograph,
early 1860s. Each image 80 x 80 mm. Printed label verso: Views
in Tasmania. Bush Scenery. S. Clifford, Photographer, Hobart
Town. Inscribed in ink in period hand verso: On Brown’s River.
Samuel Clifford’s camera can clearly be seen to the right of the
waterfall.

From the catalogue 
DOUGLAS STEWART FINE BOOKS LTD
HOBART BOOK FAIR
February 12 – 13, 2011

POLICE NOTICE: CLIFFORD’S STOLEN CAMERA

Samuel Clifford’s name appears only twice in the weekly police gazettes, called Tasmania Reports of Crimes Information for Police between the years 1866-1880, and in both instances because he was a victim of theft: some silver cutlery and a table cloth were stolen from his house and reported on 17th October 1873, and most heart breaking of all, his camera was stolen while staying at the Wilmot Arms at Green Ponds, in the district where these stereographs of the Salmon Ponds were taken. No doubt Samuel Clifford and Thomas Nevin made many trips to the Green Ponds area, and since Clifford reprinted so many of Nevin’s commercial negatives from 1876, placing an accurate date and even a sole attribution to Clifford on the extant albums of views etc is far from straightforward.

Notice in the police gazette of 15th November, 1878:
Samuel Clifford’s camera stolen from the Wilmot Arms at Green Ponds.

For example, this album bears Samuel Clifford’s name, and it was no doubt compiled by Walch’s printers and booksellers who sold it to the May family (name inscribed on inside cover) but several photographs in the album are prints from Nevin’s original stereographs, eg. this one held at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery with his stamp.

TMAG Catalogue notes (online until 2006)
Ref: Q1994.56.21
ITEM NAME: Photograph:
MEDIUM: sepia stereoscope salt paper print ,
MAKER: T Nevin [Artist];
DATE: 1870s
DESCRIPTION : Scene near New Norfolk ?
INSCRIPTIONS & MARKS: Impressed on front: T Nevin/ photo

Album: Tasmanian Scenes, S. Clifford Photographer
Held at the Tasmanian Archives and Heritage Office (TAHO)
Photos © KLW NFC and Kerry L. Williams 2012 ARR

Another stereograph attributed to Clifford of Bothwell school children may also have been taken by Nevin with Clifford in the final week of September 1874, when they were passing through Bothwell, 45 miles north of Hobart. They were enjoined to photograph the procession of Templars attending a large meeting. The newspaper, The Mercury, reported their arrival in the town in a long account of the meeting, published on 26 September, 1874:

Samuel Clifford and Thomas Nevin in Bothwell
The Mercury 26 Sept 1874

TRANSCRIPT

The members of the Order, according to their respective lodges then formed in procession outside the building, where a capital photograph was taken by Messrs Clifford and Nevin, photographers of Hobart Town, who were located in the township on a travelling tour. The township was then paraded, the band striking up some lively airs, but a smart shower coming down, the procession was speedily dispersed in every directions in quest of shelter.

The third item for sale at the Douglas Stewart Hobart Book Fair was a pair of albums containing photographs by Thomas J. Nevin, apparently bearing his most common studio stamp verso which included the wording “Late A. Bock” to indicate his succession to Alfred Bock’s business and studio at The City Photographic Establishment from 1867 until early 1876. According to notes and information supplied by DSFB, the albums contained -

“140 + family portrait photographs in carte de visite
and cabinet card formats. Identified sitters include William
Barnett of Clifton House, New Norfolk, Tasmania, 1864 /
Anna Barnett, Clifton House, New Norfolk, 2nd daughter of
Thomas & Elizabeth Judd, Franklin, River Huon, 1864; Mr
W.H. Thomas, Agnes Rivulet, Port Cygnet (early 1860s), and
John Hay of Southport.”

- and both albums were sold to Huon Valley descendants. Did you buy these albums,or do you know who the lucky buyers were? Scans of the Nevin photographs would be appreciated enormously. Please contact us here.

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• T. Nevin & Samuel Clifford identical views
• Rocking Stone party, Mt Wellington
• At the Salmon Ponds and Plenty
• Teenager with tinted sprig
• Hand-tinted carte by ‘Clifford & Nevin, Hobart Town’
• Nevin’s big tabletop stereograph viewer with Freemason
• Captain James Day, father-in-law
• Working with police and prisoners