Photographers
Heere/van den Bos
>I am still doing research on some of those "travelling" daguerrotypists and photographers and artists, because early on they would do both, taking pictures, painting portraits and/or painting miniatures. Would like to know where they worked, where they came from and how long they stayed in the different places. Please, anybody share what you have.<
Dear Christel and Listmembers,
In 1990 a very interesting book, called 'Fotografie in Suriname,
1839-1939'(Photography in Surinam, 1839-1939), was published to coincide
with the exhibition of the same name in the Museum voor Volkenkunde
(Museum of Ethnology) in Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
About itinerant daguerreotypists visit Paramaribo, it states (p. 22):
"When and by whom the first photograph was made in Surinam is not known
exactly. No photographs from the early period until the early 1860's
have so far been identified. It was customary at that time for
daguerreotypists to announce their arrival in the local newspapers and
it appears that itinerant photographers from North America and the
surrounding colonies called at Surinam at set times.
One of the first to advertise as a daguerreotypist was the American J.L.
RIKER from New York who arrived in Paramaribo in the Spring of 1846.
Shortly after Riker, THOMSON [probably Warren Thomson, a daguerreotypist
and photographic inventor previously active in Philadelphia] arrived for
a short visit to the city. At the end of August 1848 there were even two
travelling daguerreotypists in Paramaribo. F.W. GUTTICH arrived from
Curacao on the 26th August, while a few days later A.H. HARTMANN turned
up from British Guiana. Hartmann made it known that he would be staying
for a month at the most and offered his services in "producing clear
miniature Daguerreotype portraits with good likeness and colour. He has
a fine assortment of frames, boxes, brooches, medaillons, pins, etc. -
all set with genuine gold, brought along specially for the purpose of
containing portraits". A.H. Hartmann was probably the son of H.
HARTMANN, Senior, who had settled in St. Pierre on Martinique, where he
worked as a photographer until the 1870's. He too often visited the
surrounding colonies and was in Paramaribo in the summer of 1850. The
advertisements indicate that these daguerreotypists only made portrait
photographs. And they were expensive. Hartmann Senior, for example,
offered portraits in 1850 priced from 10 tot 17 1/2 guilders. Surinam's
plantation economy, with only a small affluent upper class, was too
limited a market for photographers to establish themselves permanently.
In order to attract enough clients they travelled through the whole
Caribbean region. At the same time they regularly had sidelines. G.L.
PAIRAUDEAU, a pupil and successor of A.H. Hartmann in British Guiana,
came to Surinam in the summer of 1853 and made a second working trip to
Paramaribo in 1855, advertising himself as photographer as well as
dentist. M.R. MATTES, one of the first photographers born in Surinam,
was also active in several fields. In 1854 he announced that he made
daguerreotype portraits. At the end of the year he announced that he was
going to start giving lessons again in singing, music theory and foreign
languages."
The book contains an index of commercial photographers in Surinam,
1839-1939 (pages 89-92). This index was mainly compiled from commercial
directories, almanacs, advertisements, announcements and articles
concercing photography in newspapers published in Surinam during the
period concerned. All studios were located in Paramaribo.
Some photographers who were active in Surinam until 1900 were:
- ARRIAS, J.R.
Worked as a photographer at Knuffelsgracht in late 1883.
- BURRIT, E. (J. Burreth)
Traveling photographer. Arriving from Boston via French Guiana Burrit
operated a studio at Knuffelsgracht from January until May 1867.
- CAMPION, John William Henry
On Campion's first visit to Surinam in July 1855 he worked as a
daguerreotypist making 'Portretten en Gezigten' (Portraits and Faces).
His address was the Hotel Lyons. Following his return to Paramaribo from
British Guiana he established an 'Ambrotype-gallerij' in the same hotel
in January and February 1859.
- CASTILHO, R. del
In 1895 R. del Castilho & Co., Heerenstraat, employed the photographer
Murray. In 1897 he opened a drawing school for children. In 1907 he
operated a photographic atelier in the Dominestraat. He was probably the
son of S. del Castilho.
- CASTILHO, Selomoh del
Photographer and artist. S. del Castilho began as a daguerreotypist in
1857 (if not earlier) and remained active as a photographer until
1893/1894. Thereafter he continued to give drawing lessons. He was 88
years old when he died in Paramaribo on June 20th, 1914.
S. del Castilho frequently travelled. He returned to Paramaribo in 1865,
1867, 1868, 1872, 1875 and 1878.
- CHAPMAN, C.J.
Arriving from British Guiana Chapman established his photographic studio
at the former premises of Miss Heilbron, Keizerstraat B 214. His first
visit lasted from February until June 1898. A month later he returned to
Paramaribo and reopened his 'Gallerij a la Mode' at the same address. In
June 1899 he opened a studio at Watermolenstraat A 183b.
- CRAMER, Emile Lancaster
Had a photographic studio (and art school) in 1879 at
Steenbakkerijstraat 109, and from July 1882 until c. 1888 on the
Kerkplein. In April 1891 Cramer reestablished a studio in Paramaribo at
Dominestraat C 51.
- CUMMINGS & VILLIERS, Thomas.
Following the departure of A. Henschell & Co. from Paramaribo in
November 1863, two former employees, the photographer Cummings and the
artist Thomas Villiers continued to operate the establishment briefly
under their own names.
- DUNN, W.A. & KELL, Delacourt
From August until November 1898 W.A. Dunn 'Government photographer on
Trinidad' and Delacourt Kell 'from England' operated a studio in the
photographic department of Rustwijk's 'Kronings-Atelier' on the
Waterkant. They returned to Surinam and operated their studio at the
same address between January and March 1901.
- GOMEZ BURKE
Opened a studio at Klipsteenstraat A 249 in February 1891. On July 1st a
entered into partnership with H.A. Siza under the name or style of Gomez
Burke, Siza & Co. Both closed their galleries on July 20th and left the
colony shortly thereafter.
- GUICHERIT, Rudolph
Born Paramaribo 9 March 1837.
On Februar 4th, 1868, following his return to Surinam from Amsterdam
where he had a photographic studio since 1865, Guicherit opened a studio
on the corner of Dominestraat and Jodenbreestraat. A year later he moved
his establishment to the corner of Heerenstraat and Kerkplein. In 1872
Guicherit returned to Amsterdam where he continued to work as a
photographer for many years (died Amsterdam 7 August 1897). His studio
in Paramaribo was taken over by M. Westerborg.
- GUTTICH, Frederico W.
Travelling daguerreotypist. Guttich was to be found in the Noorder
Kerkstraat following his arrival from Curacao on August 26, 1848.
- HARTEN, Ferdinand
Photographs of Paramaribo by Harten dated 1864 exist. On November 24,
1866, he opened a studio in the Korte Hofstraat. Harten also traveled to
Nickerie, Coronie and other places in the colony for the purpose of
making photographs. In August 1870 he reopened his studio in the Kromme
Elleboogstraat.
- HARTMANN, A.H.
Travelling daguerreotypist. Hartmann arrived in August 1848 and planned
to stay for less than one month.
- HARTMANN Senior, Hippolyte
The Martinique based photographer Hartmann Senior visited Paramaribo in
July 1850 where he made daguerreotypes at the Watermolenstraat.
- HEILBRON, Clarisse Philippina
Miss Heilbron opened her studio on August 26, 1889 at Keizerstraat B214.
In November 1890 Siza established his atelier at her premisses. She
reestablished her portrait studio in July 1891 following his departure.
Photographs taken outside the studio were made by Murray. On October 18,
1893 she married the local industrialist Alexander Salomons and two
weeks later her studio was offered for rent. The marriage ended in
divorce in 1898.
- HENSCHEL & Co.
A. Henschel & Co. closed their studio on November 10, 1863 and departed
shortly thereafter for Boston. All their instruments, chemicals and
other materials were transferred to their former employees Cummings &
Villiers. In the 1870's Albert Henschel was an important photographer in
Brazil.
- JONES, Mr.
Arriving from the United States via British Guiana Mr. Jones established
a studio to produce ambrotypes at the house of S. del Castilho in May
1858.
- LAWRENCE, D.
Travelling ferrotypist who visited Paramaribo in June 1876.
- MATTES, M.R.
In August 1854, following a visit to French Guiana, Mattes advertised
his services as a daguerreotypist. In January 1855 he resumed teaching
singing, musical theory and foreign languages.
- MORIN, Thomas
Travelling photographer. Morin was in Paramaribo in July 1880.
- MURRAY, F.H.
Worked as a retoucher for Siza in 1893 and the ateliers of Norton and
Heilbron. In March 1894 Murray established his own studio in the former
studio of his last employer, Miss Heilbron. In February 1895 he became a
member of the firm of R. del Castilho & Co. Later in the same year he
continued to sollicit photographic commissions giving at his address
Burenstraat 111.
- NORTON Bros. & Co.
On January 6, 1887 the Norton Bros. & Co. of British Guiana opened a
studio in the Keizerstraat. Originally intending to work in Paramaribo
for no longer than two months they remained there until the end of
September.
- PAIRAUDEAU, George Léon
On August 25, 1853 the dentist and daguerreotypist/photographer
Pairaudeau arrived from British Guiana. He operated his dentistry and
portrait gallery at Waterkant A 196 until December. He returned to the
same address in November 1854 from French Guiana. In January 1855 he
moved to the Saramaccastraat but continued to divide his time between
the three Guyanas. His last working visit to Paramaribo appears to have
been in August 1855. Pairaudeau continued to practice his two
professions in British Guiana well into the 1870's.
- PEARSALL, Alva A.
In December 1862 the photographer A.A. Pearsall from New York opened a
studio in the Watermolenstraat after a stay of three months in British
Guiana. He remained for only about one month in Paramaribo. In December
1863 the firm of Pearsall Brothers opened on Curacao.
- RIKER, John L.
The first recorded daguerreotypist in Surinam was possibly John L. Riker
of New York. He visited Paramaribo in March and April 1846. Riker had
earlier worked on Curacao in December 1845 and January 1846.
- RUSTWIJK, George Gerhardus Theodorus
Born Paramaribo 13.12.1862, died Paramaribo 17.7.1914.
Photographer, painter, musician, writer and poet. In the late 1880's
Rustwijk was making enlargements of photographs in his art studio, but
it was not until 1898 that he opened the Photographic Department of his
'Kronings-Atelier' on the Waterkant.
- SIZA, Henrique A.
Following his arrival from British Guiana Siza opened his studio in
November 1890 at the premisses of Miss Heilbron on the Keizerstraat. On
July 1, 1891, he entered into partnership with Gomez Burke under the
name or style of Gomez Burke, Siza & Co. Both closed their galleries on
July 20th and left the colony shortly thereafter. In January 1893 Siza
returned to Paramaribo and opened a studio at Gravenstraat A21. A few
months later Murray was also working there as a retoucher. Siza remained
in Paramaribo for at least another year and a half. In his
advertisements Siza stated that he had also practised photography in
Portugal, British and French Guiana and other places.
- STEVENS, W.H.
The Canadian W.H. Stevens from Halifax, Nova Scotia arrived om October
22, 1874, from British Guiana and opened a studio in the Gravenstraat.
He departed in February of the following year.
- THOMSON, Warren
Travelling daguerreotypist. Thomson arrived in Surinam via British
Guiana in May 1846.
- VEER, F.P. de
Opened a studio on the Waterkant in 1884 and left the colony in October
1885. He returned to Paramaribo early in 1889 and operated a studio in
the Gravenstraat until his departure in April 1890.
- WESTERBORG, M.
Succeeded Guicherit following his departure for Amsterdam in 1871. The
building located on the property of Heerenstraat A272 which previously
housed the photographic atelier was auctioned in January 1873.
Peter Heere, The Netherlands