Even though John Watt Beattie is credited with being Australia’s first official photographer appointed in 1896, he is perhaps not so well known today, and just three auction records are listed in AASD.
It is a rare event when 19 of his Views of Tasmania from the 1890s appear at auction. Bloomsbury Auctions offer them on 18 May in one lot (lot 16), with an estimate of £2,000 to £3,000. The large albumen prints are on original pale blue card mounts,measure 26.8 x 37.2 cm and are signed, titled and numbered in the negatives.
The subjects include Hobart from Bellerive, Government House, Franklin Square, Launceston from Cataract Gorge, Fossil Cliffs on Maria Island, Tasman's Arch, the Derwent at Risdon, Mt. Wellington and Port Arthur looking west.
John Watt Beattie was born in Aberdeen, Scotland, in 1859, arrived in Tasmania in 1878 and became a great supporter and enthusiast for all things Tasmanian. The Queen VictoriaMuseum in Launceston and the Tasmanian Museum in Hobart hold most of his work today.
These are certainly interesting photographs and should be hotly contested.
About The Author
Brigitte Banziger and David Hulme are the principals of Banziger Hulme Fine Art Consultants, established since 2003. With their combined experience of over 40 years, they provide private collectors as well as companies and public institutions with independent expert art valuations.
In addition to their appraisals for insurance, family law, deceased estates and market values, they assist clients with transparent advice when buying or selling an individual artwork or an entire collection, for some of Australia’s most significant private collectors.
David Hulme is an approved valuer for the Australian Government’s Cultural Gifts Program, and both Brigitte and David are members of the Art Consulting Association of Australia, where David served as President from 2015 to 2019.
David Hulme is a regular art market critic and commentator on the Australian art market and has been interviewed by numerous media, including the 'Australian Financial Review', 'The Australian' and 'The Sydney Morning Herald'. He has also been interviewed on Network 10’s 'The Project', on the ABC’s Radio National Breakfast show with Hamish MacDonald, the ABC’s 'The Business' program amongst many others.
