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Henri Mallard (Aust., 1884–1967).

[Building The Sydney Harbour Bridge]

c1931/1976. Group of 20 silver gelatin photographs, 19 taken by Mallard, one taken by unknown photographer of Mallard, all printed by photographer David Moore, each signed, authenticated, annotated and dated “1976” by Lisa Moore, daughter of David Moore, in pencil verso, sizes range from 25.9 x 25.6cm to 36.1 x 25.8cm. Some minor retouching and cockling, otherwise in good condition.

Annotations include “Photograph by Henri Mallard”, other than the image of Mallard seated on scaffolding high above the harbour, which reads “Photographer unknown” and “Henri Mallard photographing the building of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.”

In 1976 photographer David Moore (Aust., 1927-2003), who was on the board of the Australian Centre of Photography (ACP), took on the project of printing 70 of Mallard’s images of the building of the harbour bridge, which were to be included in a book on Mallard and for a subsequent exhibition. That same year the book was published in March followed by an exhibition at the ACP in August. The group of 20 photographs on offer are duplicates from that project, printed by Moore, and are the only ones in private hands. A detailed list of these photographs is available upon request.

Sydney-born Henri Mallard began working for Harrington’s photographic suppliers in 1900, and “eventually spent his entire working-life there, moving up from junior office boy to general manager.” From 1904 he began exhibiting his own photographic work. “He also took an early interest in film and coached Frank Hurley on the medium before Hurley went to the Antarctic. Mallard himself filmed the building of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. He retired from Harrington’s in 1951.”

Photographer Max Dupain (Aust., 1911–1992) was of the view that “the construction of the [Sydney Harbour Bridge] marked the end of Australian pictorialism: ‘then, dramatically, this arty pictorial approach changed…Australian photographers had begun to apprehend machine form and function and to relate it not as a first or second cousin, but as a blood brother to the camera.’ This was an exaggeration: the bridge as a subject was amenable to romantic, pictorialist interpretations as well as modernist ones. Mallard, one of the most comprehensive documenters of the bridge in both photography and cinematography, used both languages. Some of his photographs are sharp and modern in feel, based on the dramatic geometry of the steel structure.” Ref: Art Gallery of NSW.

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Item #CL207-25

Price (AUD): $38,500.00  other currencies