A post-mortem photograph of “Baby Sellar”, St. Kilda (Melbourne), 1862.

A$750 · Offered by Douglas Stewart Fine Books

Albumen print photograph, carte de visite format, 110 x 68 mm (mount); recto with contemporary inscription in ink: Baby Sellar ; verso with studio s printed label: Photographed by Davies Co., Artists, 98, Bourke Street East, Opposite the Theatre Royal, Melbourne, and High Street, Junction, St. Kilda ; very light foxing to both sides. According to Davies Stanbury ( The Mechanical Eye in Australia) , 98 Bourke Street was Davies Co. s earliest address (1859-1862); while the firm only operated a studio in High Street, St. Kilda (now St. Kilda Road) in 1862-64. Since both these addresses appear on the printed label on the back of this carte de visite, we would be inclined to date the photograph to the year 1862 the only year in which both studio addresses were current. We believe there is a St. Kilda connection that helps to identify the dead child in this post-mortem photograph who appears to be no older than twelve months as a son of Mrs Matilda Charlotte Sellar (Swyer) and her husband Robert Sellar, of Tennyson Street, St. Kilda. Sellar was a successful merchant whose business partner was James McCulloch (later Premier of Victoria), and who around this time was Chairman of the Melbourne Chamber of Commerce. On 2 April 1859 Robert had married Matilda Charlotte Swyer at Christ Church, St Kilda the church designed by her own brother, civil engineer Charles Robert Swyer. There is every likelihood that this sad photograph was taken in Davies Co. s St. Kilda studio there would not ha

• Binding: Hardcover

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