Born in 1872 in New Zealand Leonard Whithair Appleby several certificates in painting, c.1885 – c.1887 at the Christchurch School of Art, before taking up photography. He was prominent as a footballer. He was well known as Captain of the Newcastle Football Club in Newcastle 1890-93 before returning to New Zealand and later prominent in Brisbane as a footballer swimmer and referee for the 1897-1900 he had been 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 first worked for Christchurch photographer C.H. Manning before or after his Australian experience. From October 1895 to he was managing partner of C H Manning & Co run by Manning’s Australian born widow EmmaLouisa 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.
By March 1898 Appleby was working for Falk Studios in The Strand in Sydney before starting his own studio in the arcade in 1906 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 under the heading 'ARTISTIC PHOTOGRAPHY’ in the 4 July Daily Telegraph of
Appleby’s studio was taken over by Monte Luke.
By his surviving prints Appleby was a fine portraitist in the soft focus glamourising style of international art photographers of early 20th century comparable with his compatriots May and Mina Moore. He 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. In 1905 critic A.G. Stephens devoted an long article to him in _Art and Architecture _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. He was established in Albury from 1922-23 and Newcastle in 1930-31.
Appleby was still active as a judge of the portrait class in 1938 for the 150th Australian Commemorative Salon in Sydney.
- Writers:
- Staff Writer
- Date written:
- 1999
- Last updated:
- 2022
