professional photographer and photographic salesman, opened his Danish Postcard Galleries in George Street, Sydney, in 1863, advertising six uncoloured or three coloured carte-de-visite portraits for 10s. Cased portraits cost from 2s 6d each. In 1868 Schroeder’s price for carte-de-visite photographs was 'reduced to 8s per dozen’. He remained in George Street South (opposite the Haymarket clock) until about 1891, having a branch at Gosford in 1870-71 and probably visiting other country towns. In 1880 he was briefly in partnership with W.H. Vosper. Schroeder seems likely to have been related to H.F. Shrader , possibly his son, both properly being Schröder.
Schroeder’s most notable work was probably the photographic assemblage he prepared for the employees of the Sydney Morning Herald to present to John Fairfax in February 1870. It contained about 100 small vignetted portraits of Herald employees surrounding larger central portraits of Fairfax flanked by the junior partners, James and Edward Rose Fairfax. Ranked according to their position (the printers were in the outermost circle), everyone was identified in a key below, while at the top of the whole composition was the likeness of the late Charles Fairfax, 'without whose well-remembered face the donors thought the picture would be incomplete’. In addition, there were separate photographs of the Herald building, Hoe’s printing machine and a compositor with his frame and types. The whole was arranged in an oval format about 4 × 2½ feet (122 × 76 cm) in size.
Schroeder produced photographs of the composite image as souvenirs for those making the presentation, boasting that despite their reduced size every person was 'distinctly recognisable’. When presented with the original, Fairfax remarked that he trusted this 'Work of Art’ would remain in perfect state as an heirloom in his family and that his sons would 'not only imitate but excel their father in generous consideration for the peace and happiness of all who assist in the production of the Sydney Morning Herald '.
- Writers:
- Staff Writer
- Date written:
- 1992
- Last updated:
- 2011
