Alfred William Buchanan Dufty facts for kids
Alfred William Buchanan Dufty (1858–1924) was a talented photographer who was born in England and later moved to Australia. He became well-known for his amazing pictures.
Early Life
Alfred William Buchanan Dufty was born in Kingston upon Thames, England, on March 4, 1858. His father, Francis Herbert Dufty, was also a photographer. This meant Alfred grew up around cameras and learned about photography from a young age.
In September 1868, when Alfred was about 10 years old, he moved to Australia with his father. They traveled by ship and arrived in Melbourne. His older brothers had already moved to Australia a few years earlier.
Photography Career
Working in Fiji
When Alfred was 16, in December 1871, he moved to Levuka, Fiji. There, he joined his brother, Francis Herbert Dufty, who had already opened a photography studio. Their studio was right next to the Fiji Times newspaper office.
The Dufty brothers took many different kinds of photos. They created studio portraits, which are pictures taken in a special room with controlled lighting. They also took beautiful landscape photos of Fiji's scenery. A popular type of photo they made was called "cartes de visite." These were small portrait photos, like trading cards, that people collected in the 1800s.
They photographed many people, including missionaries, European settlers, and important Fijian leaders. They even took pictures of people from the mountains, known as the Kai Colo.
Alfred spent some time away from Fiji, visiting Australia and New Caledonia. During his time in Noumea, New Caledonia, he learned to speak French very well.
In 1883, Alfred got married in Australia. A year or two later, he moved to Suva, Fiji, and opened his own photography studio. However, he soon decided to return to Australia with his family because there were too many photographers named Dufty in Fiji.
Photography in Australia
After returning to Australia, Alfred first ran a newsagent and stationery shop in Melbourne. He also helped manage some businesses in Fiji from Australia.
Later, he moved to Sydney with his large family, which included six sons. In 1906, he started working as a photographer again. He opened a studio in Erskine Street that focused on marine photography. This means he took pictures of ships, boats, and scenes related to the ocean.
Alfred's marine photography business was very successful for about 20 years. He continued working until he passed away in 1924 at the age of 68. After his death, his son Roy took over the business and ran it for another five years.
