Alfred Atkinson b. 19 January 1867

  • Artist (Photographer)
Queensland photographer whose work depicts the Aboriginal communities of the Palmer district. Examples of his work are held by the Cairns Historical Society and the Institute of Aboriginal Studies in Canberra.
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photographer, born in Jersey, Channel Islands but arrived in New Zealand as a child. He settled in Cairns, North Queensland in 1887 and was active as a studio photographer and ethnographic collector from partnership with local photographer Charles H Handley (q.v.)from 1891 until the latter’s death in 1900. Handley and Atkinson rapidly built an inventory of promotional views of the region winning awards at the 1891 Cairns show. Their work under joint and separate names featured in newspapers and promotions of the region. The pair also collected specimens for the British Museum and displayed artifacts and natural history specimens in their Abbott street, Cairns studio. Handley left his state to Atkinson who continued work until reputedly up to his own death. Atkinson published postcards in the early 20th century.
Alfred Atkinson was highly regarded as a pioneer settler and was active in the community as a mason, sportsman and as a singer and musician. Atkinson served as an Alderman in Cairns 1915-1918, briefly as Mayor.
Copies of prints from glass plate negatives taken by Atkinson and Handley from c.1895 to 1915 in the Cairns Historical Society. Photographs by Handley and Atkinson had wide circulation and are regarded as significant early documentation. Examples of their work (as well as collected artifacts) are also held by the British Museum, Museum of Victoria Institute of Aboriginal Studies, Canberra.

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

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Date modified Jan. 9, 2022, 4:44 p.m. Jan. 9, 2022, 4:36 p.m.
References [<ExternalResource: Richards, Matthew Daniel McCormack (2010) Race around Cairns: representations, perceptions and realities of race in the Trinity Bay district 1876-1908. PhD thesis, James Cook University>, <ExternalResource: Interview with Beatrice Wiles, Cairns Historical Society Bulletin, no.358, June 1990, Cairns Historical Society, D 1475>, <ExternalResource: Alfred Atkinson: born 19 January 1867, died 6 November 1950. Document Number 14011, Cairns Historical Society>, <ExternalResource: Brown, Julie , 1984, Versions of Reality’: the production and function of photographs in colonial Queensland, 1880 - 1900, PhD Thesis, Department of History. University of Queensland, Brisbane>, <ExternalResource: Searle. Ross, 1993, Artists in Tropical Queensland: historical surveyor artists in Norh Queensland, Master of Letters in Museum Studies thesis. James Cook Universily, Townsville>] [<ExternalResource: Richards, Matthew Daniel McCormack (2010) Race around Cairns: representations, perceptions and realities of race in the Trinity Bay district 1876-1908. PhD thesis, James Cook University>, <ExternalResource: Interview with Beatrice Wiles, Cairns Historical Society Bulletin, no.358, June 1990, Cairns Historical Society, D 1475>]