Stephen Edward Nixon b. 10 August 1842

  • Artist (Photographer)
Stephen Nixon was primarily a portrait photographer, based in South Australia during the nineteenth century. For some time he was considered Kapunda’s resident photographer, where he built up a large collection of registered negatives. His known work includes a special album of photographs that he created, commemorating the Duke of Edinburgh's visit to South Australia.
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professional photographer, was born in Birmingham, England, on 10 August 1842, son of William Millington Nixon and brother of Joseph and Samuel Nixon . He was one of the Nixon Brothers who operated a photographic gallery at Kapunda, South Australia in 1862, which was in his name alone by 1867, the year he produced a special album of photographs (Mortlock Library) to commemorate the Duke of Edinburgh’s visit to South Australia. In the early 1870s he worked in the copper-mining towns of Moonta and Kadina, calling his firm the Yorke Peninsula Photographic Company, then was probably the Nixon partner of John Blood ( see Matthew Blood ). In November 1875 Stephen Nixon purchased Townsend Duryea 's photographic business in King William Street, Adelaide, his father’s old firm, inheriting Charles H. Manning as manager. Manning soon became a partner; he bought Nixon out in about 1880.

After a short period at Yorketown, Nixon returned to Kadina in 1881 for four years. During this period he renamed his firm the South Australian Photographic Association. He then moved back to Kapunda and took his son, Charles M. Nixon, into partnership. They operated a second studio at Tanunda from 1886 until Charles moved to Fremantle, Western Australia, in 1893. Nixon’s cartes-de-visite proclaim that his business had been established in 1855, so he obviously identified himself with his father’s firm (owned by Duryea Brothers until 1858).

Stephen Nixon married Mary Ann Ellis at Macclesfield on 2 April 1863. They had ten children, of whom only Charles appears to have taken up photography professionally. He died at Fremantle on 5 February 1910, presumably having joined Charles after retiring from photography.

Writers:
Staff Writer
Date written:
1992
Last updated:
2011

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Sources
  • The Dictionary of Australian Artists: painters, sketchers, photographers and engravers to 1870
  • Photohistory of SA, Art Gallery of South Australia
  • The Dictionary of Australian Artists: painters, sketchers, photographers and engravers to 1870
Date modified Feb. 19, 2013, 10:50 a.m. Feb. 19, 2013, 10:48 a.m.
References [<ExternalResource: Davies, Alan & Stanbury, Peter (1985), 'The Mechancial Eye in Australia: Photography 1841-1900', Oxford University Press, Melbourne, Vic.>, <ExternalResource: Noye, R.J. (1968), 'Early South Australian Photography: The R.J. Noye Collection', Adelaide, SA.>, <ExternalResource: Statton, J. (1986), 'Biographical Index of South Australians 1836-1885', Adelaide, SA.>, <ExternalResource: Noye, R.J. (2007) ‘Dictionary of South Australian Photography 1845-1915’, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide. CD-ROM.>, <ExternalResource: Robinson, Julie and Zagala, Maria (2007), 'A Century in Focus: South Australian Photography 1840s to 1940s', Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide.>] [<ExternalResource: Davies, Alan & Stanbury, Peter (1985), 'The Mechancial Eye in Australia: Photography 1841-1900', Oxford University Press, Melbourne, Vic.>, <ExternalResource: Noye, R.J. (1968), 'Early South Australian Photography: The R.J. Noye Collection', Adelaide, SA.>, <ExternalResource: Statton, J. (1986), 'Biographical Index of South Australians 1836-1885', Adelaide, SA.>]
See alsos [<ExternalResource: Photohistory SA Archived Website>, <ExternalResource: Art Gallery of South Australia>]