George Barron GOODMAN

In May 1841 the captain of a French ship made the first photographs in Australia when he demonstrated the daguerreotype process in Sydney, and in November 1842 George Barron Goodman arrived in Sydney and became Australia’s first professional photographer. In August 1843 he took his daguerreotype apparatus to Tasmania, but was back in Sydney by March the following year. From 11 August to 31 December 1845 he was in Melbourne where he reportedly made 870 likenesses, then sailed for Adelaide with his wife, daughter and servant on the Cleveland.

On 14 January 1846 the Register reported: ‘Amongst the recent arrivals from Melbourne we have the pleasure to announce that of Mr G.B. Goodman the celebrated Daguerreotype artist, whose personal skill and the special advantage of obtaining from the patentee in England every recent improvement in the art, have given him those decided advantages which in Melbourne he had turned to profitable account for himself, with the most complete satisfaction to the public. We are assured that in order to estimate the truthfulness of the portraits produced by Mr Goodman they must be seen and compared with the living originals; but portraits are not the only subjects upon which the artist exercises his skill, and the remarkable processes confided to him, Mr Goodman being about to take sketches of South Australian scenery or edifices, and groups of persons or animals, as well as with a view to the enrichment of private collections, as for the purpose of publication in England.’

By 20 January Goodman had commenced portrait taking at the rear of Emanuel Solomon’s auction house in Rundle Street where, it was said, ‘his likenesses are executed in a very superior manner, and are perfectly true. This being the first opportunity that has been afforded to the colonists of getting such likenesses taken, and one which may not again soon occur, we have no doubt that Mr Goodman will have equal success in the prosecution of his art in this place as he had in the neighbouring colonies.’

Goodman provided the public with a brief explanation of the process in advertisements he placed in the press: ‘The likeness is obtained by fixing the reflection of the face itself in a mirror, the consequence of which is, that the resemblance must be unerring, and the lights and shades being produced by Nature’s own hand, contain a delicacy and reality hardly to be imitated by art. The sitting is not longer than ten seconds, and the whole is framed and delivered within five minutes, which can scarcely be called an innovation, on the time of those most occupied by business; and Mr Goodman guarantees to allow as many sittings as may be thought necessary until the likeness is thoroughly approved of. Price of each portrait one guinea, including a handsome gilt and morocco casquet. Hours of attendance from 10 to 4. N.B. Sitters are particularly recommended to avoid white as much as possible in their dress.’

On 23 January the South Australian said that Goodman had taken nearly fifty daguerreotype likenesses, and the following day the South Australian Gazette & Colonial Register reported that Goodman’s atelier had been ‘crowded for the last three days, during which period … no fewer than eighty ladies and gentlemen have sat.’ The Gazette noted that Goodman had ‘more complete means’ for making daguerreotypes than the local photographers Norman & Heseltine  who a month earlier had been using two minute exposures for daguerreotype portraits, which was very long compared to Goodman’s claim of ten second exposures for his likenesses.

One week after Goodman had commenced portrait taking he advertised that he had fifty morocco cases left, and that because he could not guarantee ‘the safe transit of the pictures in open frames, he will, when these are consumed, close the Daguerreotype; he would therefore urge the necessity of an early application.’ It seems strange that a week later, and probably with less than fifty cases left, Goodman should advertise his intention to remain open for business for another three weeks. He also pointed out that he had the benefit of ‘five years continual experience in the art in these colonies’ and that he thought ‘he may may now with safety state that he is above all present competition.’ The competition he referred to was Edward Schohl (q.v.), who had recently arrived from Hamburg with the latest equipment, fresh chemicals and up-to-date practical experience gained in Europe. Goodman also said that those people who had ‘favoured him by bespeaking cases’ (reserving morocco cases) should arrange a sitting before he left, and that for those who were waiting for him to reduce his price ‘he never has, and never will in any instance reduce his charge.’ In her diary (ML) Mary Thomas refers to her mother’s visit to Goodman: ‘Feb. 16 – Mama went to Mr Goodman’s with my brother Robert to have her portrait taken in daguerreotype.’

Goodman left Adelaide for Sydney with his family on the 131 ton brig Emma on 23 February 1846, and three days later Captain Fox noted in his diary that his passengers included ‘Mr Goodman, the daguerreotypist, with his wife child and servant, who occupy the after cabin. He has just completed a profitable tour of the colonies in the exercise of his art, having taken 870 likenesses in Port Phillip and upwards of 400 in Adelaide.’ From the early figures quoted in the Adelaide press, and assuming he had only fifty cases left a week after he opened and was not pretending there was a shortage of cases to hurry people into a sitting, a more realistic figure for Adelaide would have been about 200 daguerreotypes.

End.