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professional photographer and dealer, was an American from Salem according to A.B. Peirce , another Massachusetts photographer who briefly worked for him. O’Neill first appears in the trade section of the Melbourne Directory for 1857 as a 'Daguerrean and Photographic artist’ of 57 Collins Street East, Melbourne, in partnership with Freeman Batchelder, also from Massachusetts. He may previously have worked for Freeman’s brother Perez Mann Batchelder in California. When the Photographic Society of Victoria was founded at Batchelder & O’Neill’s rooms in October 1860, O’Neill was elected treasurer.

In the Age on 25 January 1861 Batchelder & O’Neill advertised 'Photography in Water Colors, finished up in a style superior to any other establishment in the city’, and the colouring of photographs seems to have been O’Neill’s speciality. The sixteen hand-coloured group photographs (La Trobe Library) of the officers and men of the Victorian Volunteer Rifles which were awarded a first-class certificate at the 1861 Victorian Exhibition were probably coloured by O’Neill. His firm exhibited and won prizes at various exhibitions, but the major and most lucrative part of the business was the sale of photographic equipment. Batchelder & O’Neill sent price lists and 'carefully packed’ goods throughout the colonies, advertising as far afield as Hobart Town (1858) and Adelaide (1863).

After the partnership was dissolved in 1864, O’Neill was on his own at 28 Swanston Street until 1865, when he was taken over by Charles Johnson , an American from California and a former manager of the Batchelder & O’Neill firm. O’Neill apparently stayed on as an employee until 1867 when Johnson’s firm closed down. In April 1866 the Sydney chemist and druggist E.H. O’Neill had advertised that he had been appointed agent to Johnson & Co. of Melbourne (presumably because O’Neill was a relative) and that he was now selling a large supply of photographic goods and chemicals. Johnson & Co. set up its own Sydney branch establishment at 24 York Street in February 1867, but this lasted little more than a month. Then the proprietor (Charles Johnson himself) left Sydney. A year later, O’Neill of 'Johnson & Co. (late Batchelder & O’Neill)’ also came to Sydney and opened his own 'Photographic Depot’ at 305 George Street in April 1868. It, too, mainly supplied photographic equipment.

O’Neill advertised a few topical photographs for sale when he opened on 13 April: coloured cartes-de-visite of the Duke of Edinburgh’s would-be assassin Henry James O’Farrell, and the Queensland murderer Thomas Griffin , at 9s a dozen (coloured but not photographed by O’Neill), as well as 'original cased photos 1/6d each of Lord’. Later in the month he was selling a Dallmeyer Instantaneous Baby Lens and Camera (with repeating back for three pictures) for which he wanted 10 guineas cash. The camera, he assured potential buyers, 'Has been tried and can be guaranteed’. In June he advertised for a 'steady youth as assistant printer & generally useful’. In July he was looking for a 'Lady…Well up in colouring Carte de Visites &c.’ and pupils for lessons in colouring photographs. In July and August he advertised a 'splendid assortment’ of imported photographic goods.

By 1871 O’Neill was back in Melbourne, at 33 Swanston Street. His shop was at 43 Collins Street East in 1872-73 but by then he had become exclusively a photographic dealer, possibly because his sort of small hand-coloured photograph was becoming unfashionable. Although a daguerreotypist early in his career, O’Neill was always primarily a supplier and colourist. He never seems to have taken up wet-plate photography.

Writers:

Staff Writer

Date written:

1992

Last updated:

2011