Charles Henry Kerry Australia, 1857-1928

Charles Kerry was a professional photographer and owner of the successful photographic firm Kerry and Co. He was born in Bombala, New South Wales, in 1857. In 1874, he joined the small portrait studio of Alexander Henry Lamartiniere in Sydney. He was made a partner in 1883, but Lamartiniere absconded from the business in 1884, taking Kerry's capital with him. Kerry continued to run the company in partnership with C. D. Jones, and eventually renamed it Kerry and Co. Kerry and Co became one of the largest photographic businesses in Australia. They specialized in portraits, but also photographed Sydney scenery and society, and were active in the postcard business. Kerry was also commissioned to photograph a variety of subjects, including Aboriginal people and ceremonies, pastoral stations, and the interiors of the Jenolan and Yarrangobilly caves. By 1900, Kerry and Co were the major photographers for illustrations in the Sydney press. Kerry retired in 1913 to dedicate himself to his mining interests in Malaysia and Thailand. He was also a pioneer snow sportsman and contributed to the establishment of ski fields in the Jindabyne and Kosciusko area. Kerry died in Sydney in 1928. His photographs are an important record of life in Australia in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. They are held in the collections of the National Library of Australia, the State Library of New South Wales, and the Art Gallery of New South Wales.

The total number of works by Charles Kerry offered for sale by auction since 2008 is 28, of which 19 (68%) were sold. The highest price recorded for the artist is $14,400 for Portraits of Australian Aborigines, 1876–82 sold by Deutscher and Hackett in November 2012. No works have been offered for sale this year, and the last sale we have recorded for the artist was in 2021. Works by Charles Kerry are held by the Art Gallery of NSW, Art Gallery of South Australia and National Gallery of Australia.