Louisa Elizabeth How facts for kids
Louisa Elizabeth How (born 1821, died 1893) was a very important person in Australian photography. She was the first woman photographer in Australia whose pictures we can still see today.
Biography
Louisa Elizabeth How was born in England in 1821. She married James How, who was a labourer. They had two sons, William (born 1844) and Edward (born around 1848).
The family came to Australia on the ship Royal George in November 1849. They arrived at Port Phillip in Victoria. They came under a special program that helped people pay for their journey to Australia.
In Melbourne, James How worked for Joseph Raleigh, a merchant. By 1857, James was a main director of a shipping company called How, Walker & Co. The family lived in a house called 'Woodlands' in North Sydney. It was next to what is now Admiralty House.
Early Photography Skills
Louisa How's surviving photographs were all taken over just two years. She was clearly a talented artist who loved photography. Historians believe she learned about photography in a few ways. Maybe she learned from photographers in England before she moved. She might also have learned from books or from people she met in Australia.
It is very likely she read articles about photography in her copy of the English Art-Journal from 1850. These articles explained how to use the photography processes she used. It is thought that her first photograph was of an engraving from this same journal.
The Art-Journal also had detailed instructions on how to build and use a camera. It explained how to choose lenses. There were also instructions for preparing special paper for photography. One article even said that the "Talbotype" was the best way to take photos at that time. This was a different method from the "Daguerreotype," which used heavy metal plates.
Louisa How might have learned photography from professional studios in England. But it is more likely she learned from William Hetzer in Sydney. He was known for making "salted paper prints" from glass negatives. He also supplied materials and printed photos for his clients.
Some people believe William Hetzer's wife, Thekla, was the first woman photographer in Australia. She helped him at his studio from 1850. However, none of her photographs have survived. Another artist, Louisa Anne Meredith, might also have taken photos before How. Her drawings, which look like copies of photos, appeared in her 1861 book.
Her Photo Album
In 1858, the first photography exhibition in Australia was held in Sydney. Around the same time, Louisa How took photos of her guests at Woodlands on Christmas Day and Boxing Day. She set up a simple studio on her verandah. She used furniture, curtains, and props like a stereoscope (a device for viewing 3D images). This helped her get brighter light, so the photos took less time to expose. She made it look like the pictures were taken indoors.
These photos are part of her only surviving album. It has 48 "salted paper prints" from October 1857 to January 1859. She carefully titled and signed her work. This album is now kept at the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra.
Her photos show many different subjects. She photographed visitors relaxing, talking, drinking, and eating. Some photos show groups of people, while others are single portraits. She photographed merchants like George S. Caird and Robert P. Paterson. She also took pictures of the explorer William Landsborough with his Aboriginal companion, 'Tiger'.
Photography experts admire her work. Gael Newton praises How's "fine sense of composition." Judy Annear says her portraits are "most compelling, posed and yet relaxed." Professor Martyn Jolly notes that her photos are special because they show us the close relationships between people in colonial Australia.
Besides portraits, How also took pictures of places. She photographed Sydney Cove, Government House, Campbell’s Wharf, and areas around her own house and garden. She also photographed her boatshed on Sydney Harbour.
Later Life
The How family lived at Woodlands until about 1866. Then they moved to 'Calingra' in Woollahra. This was because the How merchant company had lost money and closed down. It seems Louisa How stopped taking photographs after this difficult time.
Her husband, James, died around 1869. A year later, she moved to Heaton, also in Woollahra. She moved several more times before she passed away in 1893. She was 72 years old.
Exhibitions
- Masterpieces of Australian Photography, Josef Lebovic Gallery, Kensington, 24 Jun 1989–22 Jul 1989
- Selected recent acquisitions, 1989, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 05 Sep 1989–17 Dec 1989
- Review: works by women from the permanent collection of the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 08 Mar 1995–04 Jun 1995
- The photograph and Australia, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 21 Mar 2015–08 Jun 2015
Collections
- Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, ACT
