Frederick Grosse b. February 1828

Also known as R. Grosse
  • Artist (Printmaker),
  • Artist (Photographer)
Frederick Grosse was an engraver, vigneron and probably professional photographer. Born in Prussia, he came to Melbourne via Adelaide in 1854. Grosse is best known as a reproductive engraver. In 1868 he was appointed supernumerary wood-engraver to the Government Printing Office. Later he purchased the Tooronga Vineyard on Emu Creek, Strathfieldsaye and from 1872 was exhibiting award-winning wines

engraver, professional photographer(?) and vigneron, was born at Aschersleben, Prussia, in February 1828, son of Tibertus Andrew Arristoft Grosse and his wife Dorothea. He came to Adelaide in the Caesar Godefroy in January 1854 but left for Melbourne in the Mazeppa a few days later. After spending some time on the goldfields in the neighbourhood of Bendigo, he set up business in Melbourne as a designer and wood-engraver, first at 30 Russell Street but by December 1856 in Neeve’s Building, 62 Collins Street East, where he remained until 1868. He did two engravings of fish for Blandowski in 1856 and appears to have been involved in the formation of the Victorian Society of Fine Arts that October, exhibiting at its only exhibition in 1857. He also showed work at the Victorian Exhibition of 1861, then seems to have no further involvement in any art society or exhibition.

Grosse is best known as a reproductive engraver, having engraved for nearly all the illustrated magazines and newspapers in Melbourne up to the time he entered government service. His earliest recorded work is in the first issue of Melbourne Punch on 2 August 1855. He was later involved with James Smith, Nicholas Chevalier and William Detmold in the production of the Illustrated Melbourne News , which began on 2 January 1858 and closed a month later. In addition to his illustrative work, Grosse engraved the punches for various Victorian postage stamps issued in 1860 (Beaded Ovals) and 1863-67 (Laureated Series).

In association with Rudolph Jenny , who seems to have been his employee until succeeding to the Collins Street business, Grosse patented 'Bismuthography’ on 16 February 1861. This arrangement by which lines formed of bismuth are made to stand out in relief on a zinc plate does not seem to have been practical for reproducing line drawings and there are no records of its use, though Grosse and Jenny may have used it for the production of printing blocks in their own business. Grosse or a member of his family possibly tried photography about this time; 'R.’ Grosse was listed as a photographer at 72 Collins Street East in 1861.

Appointed supernumerary wood-engraver to the Government Printing Office on 11 June 1868, Grosse subsequently produced hundreds of wood-engravings for department publications, the principal one being Robert Brough Smyth’s The Goldfields and Mineral Districts of Victoria (Melbourne 1869) and The Aborigines of Victoria (Melbourne 1878). On 1 July 1877 he was given a permanent appointment as engraver and electrotyper, but on 31 December 1880 his office was abolished and he was dismissed with compensation.

He became a full-time vigneron. He had planted a vineyard at Thomastown as early as 1857 but the area proved unsuitable. In 1864 he purchased the Tooronga Vineyard on Emu Creek, Strathfieldsaye, from Albert Bruhn and from 1872 was exhibiting award-winning wines at various local and overseas exhibitions. In May 1881 he opened the Bendigo Wine Cellars at 106 Collins Street West and in 1889 brought out Maurice Steiner, formerly manager of the Royal Hungarian Model Cellars, Budapest, to act as his cellar manager. Shortly before his death phylloxera was discovered in the vineyard and all vines were uprooted in December 1893.

Grosse died of pneumonia at St Kilda, Melbourne, on 5 October 1894 and was buried in the St Kilda Cemetery. His wife Sophia, née Hanstein, had predeceased him on 6 October 1887.

Writers:
Darragh, Thomas A.
Date written:
1992
Last updated:
2011