professional photographer, was born in the United States of America, son of Elizabeth Gates and her first husband, Mr (Daniel?) Metcalfe. Opening a studio at Sydney in 1864, Metcalfe predictably claimed in June that his photographic gallery at 347 Pitt Street, next to the Victoria Theatre, was the cheapest place in Sydney for first-class carte-de-visite portraits. Nevertheless, he rapidly went out of business and joined the large firm of his step-father, Thomas Skelton Glaister . The following year he and Robert Millington , as Millington & Metcalfe 'from Glaister’s Gallery, Sydney’, were touring New South Wales.
They were south at Queanbeyan in August-September 1865 working from premises in Monaro Street; at Bega, Pambula and Eden in 1866. They moved north to Muswellbrook and Armidale in 1868. Metcalfe then continued on alone to Queensland where he set up a studio in Queen Street, Brisbane, still retaining links with Glaister’s in Sydney. Alexander Archer had his photograph taken at Metcalfe’s in about 1870; the carte-de-visite is in the Rockhampton District Historical Society’s collections (Capricornia Institute).
Metcalfe’s half-brother Thomas Skelton Middleton Glaister joined him at Brisbane in 1875 and the firm became Metcalfe & Glaister, with a branch at Toowoomba. After young Glaister died on 8 August 1877, aged twenty-six, by accidentally drinking cyanide of potassium (used in the business) in mistake for gin, Metcalfe kept the firm going until the end of the year then went into partnership with William True Bennett , another American, until 1879. At the same time Daniel’s son, Daniel T. Metcalfe, had his own Queen Street business. In 1880 D.F. Metcalfe took over the Imperial Photo Company in Queen Street, formerly operated by Daniel Marquis , and relocated it to George Street. It was being managed by H. Overlack in 1890 when D.F. Metcalfe was again travelling north. He is listed at Gympie, Queensland, in 1891-92.
- Writers:
- Staff Writer
- Date written:
- 1992
- Last updated:
- 2011
