L. W. Appleby b. May 1872

Also known as Leonard Whithair Appleby
  • Artist (Photographer)
Appleby was a New Zealand photographer who trained with Falk Studios in Sydney and in Newcastle before partnering with Emma Manning in the Christchurch studio of her late husband CH Manning. He exhibited bi-chromate prints with the NSW Society of Artists in 1907. Appleby's work is now in the collection of the Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales, Sydney.

Born in 1872 in New Zealand Leonard Whithair Appleby earned several certificates in painting, c.1885 – c.1887 at the Christchurch School of Art, before taking up photography. He was prominent in Christchurch as a footballer. He was well known as Captain of the Newcastle Football Club in Newcastle in 1890-93 before returning to New Zealand and later equally prominent in Brisbane as a footballer swimmer and referee from c. 1897-1900 when working there for P.C. Poulsen studio. He was reported to be going to Sydney to pursue a career on stage having had previous association with Bland Holt’s Dramatic Company.

It is unclear if Appleby worked for Christchurch photographer C.H. Manning before for five years or after his Australian experiences. From October 1895 he was managing partner of C H Manning & Co run by Manning’s Australian born widow Emma Louisa nee Noble(1857-1905 – sister of the Melbourne photographer Timothy Stoessiger Noble). Appleby stayed until early 1898 when the firm of Standish and Preece purchased all the negatives of Charles Henry Manning, C.H. Manning & Co and L.W.Apppleby.

Despite any thespian ambitions by March 1897 Appleby was was working for Falk Studios in The Strand in Sydney before starting his own studio in the Pitt street end of the arcade in 1903 which ran until 1920. Appleby catered to theatrical and society sitters and was active in local art photography salons from 1904 when his one person show at the Society of Arts was reviewed on 4 July Daily Telegraph_ under the heading 'ARTISTIC PHOTOGRAPHY’, 'this collection is the nearest approach to art in photography we have yet seen in this part of the world’. Appleby’s theatrical and social portraits appeared in the press until 1920. Appleby’s studio was taken over by Monte Luke.

In his report on Pictorial photography in Australia for the British _Photograms of the Year _annual for 1904, A. H. Hill Griffiths, Editor of the _Australian Photographic Journal _noted Appleby was 'a courageous and versatile photographer, who but recently opened for himself in Sydney, has at this moment sprung upon us an Exhibition of some thirty or more portraits, mostly heads of well known local artists and musicians, treated in a broad and artist-like manner, which is simply a revelation to the photographic cult here.’ Appleby’s moody portrait of artist D.H. Souter was reproduced on p.195.

The following year critic A.G. Stephens devoted an long article to him in _Art and Architecture _journal making the claim that Appleby 'seems to be first and chief among those who have attempted the new photography. Certainly no series of gum-portraits has been shown in Sydney to equal the set recently exhibited by him at the Art Society’s rooms.’ Stephens cited Alfred Stieglitz and Clarence White as American models for Appleby’s gum bichromate work. Appleby and A.H. Adams exhibited bi-chromate prints with the Society of Artists in 1907.

Appleby has a significant role as an early exponent of art photography in Australia seemingly holding the first one person show in 1904 five years before that of Harold Cazneaux at the New South Wales Photographic Society rooms. Cazneaux was aware of Appleby and may have been more influenced by him than previously acknowledged.
Why Appleby closed his seemingly successful Strand Arcade studio c 1919 is not known. He was briefly established in Albury from 1922-23 and Newcastle in 1930-31.
Appleby was still active in 1938 as a judge of the portrait class for the 150th Australian Commemorative Salon in Sydney.

Writers:
Staff Writer
newtog
Date written:
1999
Last updated:
2022