Above: Stacy and Machan's tent studio, date and location unknown. Frame of specimen photographs left of entrance to tent. Carte has "Stacy & Machan, Photographic Artists" imprint on the back

Robert Sheppard STACY Snr.   When Thomas Smyth Stacy and two of his sons migrated to South Australia from England in 1839 the colony was only three years old, and the first practical photographic process, the daguerreotype, was being introduced in Europe. Two years later, in 1841, the rest of his family came to Adelaide on the Orissa, including his seven-year old son Robert Sheppard Stacy, who had been born at Exmouth, Devon, in 1834.

On 22 May 1857 Robert Stacy married Maria Tatham Dean at his father’s house in Kensington, his occupation recorded as cabinet-maker on the marriage certificate. In the directory for 1858 his address is given as Young Street, North Adelaide, and for 1862 he is listed as cabinet-maker, Ward Street, North Adelaide.

Although not listed in directories as a photographer until 1864 he must have been practising photography by the end of 1862, as both the Advertiser and Register described his portrait of explorer John McDouall Stuart at the end of January 1863. The Advertiser said: ‘On Friday afternoon Mr Stacey, the photographer, called upon us with some very good photographic likenesses of Mr Stuart. The interest of these portraits is greatly enhanced by the accessories introduced by the artist. Mr Stuart is represented as standing near to the shore of the Indian Ocean, grasping with one hand the flagstaff on which he has fixed the union-jack, and holding in the other a compass. The scenery, both as regards land and ocean, is produced from a painting prepared from sketches by Stuart himself, who vouches for its accuracy. The black lines observable in the water represent the mud drifts brought down by the Adelaide River, which discharges itself into the sea a little to the left of the clump of trees on the left of the picture. The production is very creditable to the artist, and as it embraces not only a likeness of the gallant explorer, but a correct picture of the scene where the flag was planted, we should think it would command a good sale.’

Although R.S. Stacy was listed in directories as a photographer at various Adelaide addresses almost continuously from 1864 to 1890, he spent much of his time in the country districts of South Australia. His directory entries as a photographer were:

1864-1865   O’Connell Street, North Adelaide
     1866   Marian Street, North Adelaide
     1867   Murray Street, Gawler
1868-1870   Strangways Terrace, North Adelaide
     1871   Strathalbyn
1872-1879   Melbourne Street, North Adelaide
     1881   Strangways Terrace, North Adelaide
1882-1883   Mackinnon Parade, North Adelaide
     1884   ‘artist’, Gover St West, North Adelaide
1885-1887   Hawkers Road, Medindie
1888-1889   Spencer Terrace, St. Leonards
     1890   The Mall, New Glenelg

R.S. Stacy arrived at Gawler in May 1866 after a ‘16 months very successful tour of the large townships in the north, and Wallaroo, with his large and commodious photographic tent’. With his up-to-date equipment, he said, he could take portraits on glass and views of business premises or private residences from ‘carte de visite size up to 12 inches.’ He had been at Burra in 1865, and on 28 October of that year the Register reported having seen a series of Stacy’s views of the Moonta mines which gave ‘a cool idea of the magnitude of that rich mineral deposit, as well as of the extensive operations carried on there. The views embrace the surface workings at and near the principal shafts, the new engine house, and a splendidly executed group of Captain Hancock and the officers of the mine.’

Before leaving the mines on Yorke Peninsula Stacy sold his photographic apparatus and negatives to Nicholas Caire (q.v.) of the Kadina Fancy Bazaar, who advertised in December 1865 that he was resuming his former profession of ‘practical photographer and photographic artist.’ By August 1866, however, Stacy was back on the Peninsula with ‘new carte de visite and view lens’ which he said would allow him to take photographs ‘equal to any in the colonies.’ He pitched his tent near the National Bank at Wallaroo with the intention of staying two weeks.

By the end of the first week Stacy had taken a series of views which were described by the Wallaroo Times on 8 August. ‘We have seen a number of excellent photographic pictures, carte-de-visite size, of the principal places of worship and buildings in Wallaroo done by Mr Stacy. The same artist has also succeeded in taking a most admirable view of the Smelting Works, including a large extent of the hill behind, and showing the sea front as well as end of the works. It is a very good photograph: the sharpness of outline and clearness and minuteness of detail are excellent. The same may be said of an equally well-executed picture of the jetty taken from the slope of the hill below the old blacksmith's shop. The wharf with the Company's tanks and weighbridge are in the foreground; the handsome offices are out of range of the picture, but the goods-stage is seen, loaded with merchandise just landed from the Royal Shepherd. The Company's well-known horse Boxer is easily recognisable a little nearer the Jetty, and behind him a little boy, whose figure is unmistakeable as that of the son of Mr Austin, accountant to the Company. The new wharf in course of formation is also shown, but the main feature of the picture is the jetty. Three vessels lie alongside – the Kadina at the end, next the hulk Rebecca, and last the steamer Royal Shepherd. The Meander is seen in the stream. The extension of the Jetty to the westward is also perceptible. On the Jetty is a train of trucks loaded with coal, and on the wharf just off the Jetty is another train loaded with ore. The only thing to be regretted is that not half the average number of vessels were in the harbour when the view was taken.’

A month later Adelaide photographer Townsend Duryea issued a warning to the public in the Wallaroo Times: ‘It having been reported to Mr Duryea that several persons, more especially one by the name of Stacy, formerly discharged from his employ, have been so unprincipled as to use his name as a reference for their business, he begs to warn the public against such persons, also to notify that he has not anyone at present engaged in the capacity of travelling photographer.’

Mrs Stacy gave birth to a daughter on 19 January 1867, and soon afterwards her husband advertised his intention to pay another visit to his ‘numerous friends and customers on the Peninsula.’ At the beginning of November 1867 Stacy spent a fortnight ‘taking likenesses’ at Robe, moved on to take portraits at Penola, then had his tent open for business at Port MacDonnell by the end of the month.

Robert Stacy continued his wandering ways. In April 1868 the Saddleworth correspondent for the Kapunda Herald reported the town had been visited by ‘glorious rain’ and Mr Stacy, who had ‘admirably succeeded in taking the pretty phizes of some of our young ladies.’ A week later he had erected his tent a few miles further up the road at Chinkford (Manoora), where the Register correspondent said Stacy’s views and likenesses were ‘very correct’. The correspondent also hoped that as the photographer had received some local custom this might encourage him to call again on his next tour of the North, as it was not always convenient for people to travel to Adelaide for their portrait. And he did think the photographer should advertise in advance the dates he would be at each township. A month later Stacy was at Marrabel, ‘practising the photographic art with merited success.’

On 12 March 1869 R.S. Stacy advertised, in German, in the Tanunda Deutsche Zeitung, that he was at Angaston for a short while, pointing out at the end of his advertisement that ‘We speak German.’

Stacy settled for a while at Strathalbyn. He occupied the old Angas Store at the corner of Swale Street, had it renovated and by November 1869 had opened it as the ‘Strathalbyn Photographic Studio and Music and Fancy Bazaar’ where he sold stationery, music and musical instruments. His final advertisement in Strathalbyn’s Southern Argus in January 1871 was followed a month later by a notice in the Northern Argus which informed his ‘numerous friends and customers’ at Clare that he would soon be back in their town with a new studio and instruments. Cartes de visite were to be 15s per dozen, 8s 6d the half dozen. Stacy was in Clare by 10th February, at Port Wakefield in June, and at Two Wells by the middle of July, where he had competition from W. W. Thwaites Senr. who was on his way to Clare to take photographs.

At one stage, possibly the early 1870s, R.S. Stacy joined with James Machan to take photographs under the name of Stacy & Machan. Three different styles of printing on their carte de visite mounts have been found, which suggests they were in partnership long enough to have their cards re-printed at least twice.

Above: Carte de Visite view of Currency Creek village with tent studio on the flat at lower left. Carte mount has imprint "R.S. Stacy, Photographer" on the back.

By October 1871 Stacy was back at Clare. The Northern Argus told its readers that they now had another chance of ‘seeing themselves as others see them’ by getting their portraits taken at Stacy’s studio, which had been erected next to the Argus office in Main Street. The Argus said that ‘as many good pictures are spoiled by the sitters choosing the wrong colours for their dress, we will here give our views on the matter:- 1st, dark brown, dark green, maroon and plain black goods, without gloss, will take a rich black colour; 2nd, silk of the same colour will take considerably lighter; 3rd, snuff brown, dark leather, dark drab, scarlet, cherry, dark orange, crimson, and slate will take a very rich drab color; 4th, violet, blue, purple, pink and magenta will take very light, and should be avoided in dressing for photographs; 5th, the hair should never be very wet or glossy.’ Within a week Stacy had views of local scenery and the Clare Juvenile Eleven for sale.

Stacy was at Milang in September 1872 where he again encountered opposition, this time from E.G. Tims who was in the area taking views of the lake and the river steamers. He made another brief visit to Clare in July 1878 where he erected his studio opposite the court-house. Here the Northern Argus reported that Stacy had ‘taken several large views of the town, and also of the principal buildings separately, and they are all splendidly executed. A large photograph of the E.S. and A.C. Bank is much admired, the finish being excellent. We have also seen one of his large colored photographs – a baby, taken only a few days before it died. As a work of art it is faultless, and in consequence Mr Stacy has received several orders from persons in the town and neighbourhood to execute, from the photos of their departed friends, large colored pictures. His landscape views will no doubt be eagerly sought after on account of their distinctness and size.’

He called at Clare again for two weeks in November 1878, then went to Burra in March 1879 to renew his acquaintance with his ‘old friends and customers in Kooringa, Redruth and Aberdeen.’ He erected his studio in Market Square, opposite the Burra Record office. He said that while portraits could be taken in any weather, children could only be taken between the hours of eleven and one.

Stacy advertised cabinet portraits for the first time when he set up his ‘portrait room’ opposite the Mount Barker police station in January 1881. They cost 15s per half dozen as against 12s 6d per dozen for cartes de visite. By the time he reached Jamestown in March 1886 he was using the instantaneous process which had been made possible by the introduction of new, faster dry-plates. He opened a studio in premises previously occupied by F.C. Smith, next to Mr Boucaut’s office in Ayr Street

In November 1886 there was a Mr Stacy at the Teetulpa goldfields taking ‘views of the workings and the canvas township’, but this may have been his son, Robert Sheppard Stacy Jnr (q.v.), who was also a photographer. R.S. Stacy and his son Robert must have worked together at one stage, as a carte de visite of a woman (NC), which appears to have been taken in the late 1880s, has the simple printed inscription on the front, ‘R.S. Stacy & Son, Photographers.’ A Robert Stacy is listed as a photographer at the Waukaringa goldfields in the directories for 1892 and 1893.

Twenty-six different printed inscriptions have been found on R.S. Stacy’s carte de visite mounts, and no doubt there are more. Of these, eleven have no address, and these also appear to be his earliest. Thirteen are for North Adelaide, two of them O’Connell Street, and only one carries the address of a country town, Strathalbyn.

Robert Sheppard Stacy Senior died on 20 May 1890, aged 56 years, and was buried at West Terrace cemetery only a few yards from the resting place of Robert Hall, one of South Australia’s pioneers of photography.

End.