Townsend Duryea (1823 – 13 December 1888) and his brother Sanford Duryea (22 February 1833 – 20 March 1903, see below) were American-born photographers who provided South Australians with invaluable images of life in the early colony. Their parents were Ann Bennett Duryea (1795–1882),This reference while useful, contains several errors which have been repeated elsewhere: Alexander McDonald for Archibald, Glencoe for (probably) Glen Cove, Hewlet for Hewlett, and Granthaven for (possibly) Grand Haven. and Hewlett K. Duryea (1794–1887), a land agent, possibly a member of the family well known for starch manufacture in Glen Cove (often reported as "Glencoe"), Long Island, in New York City.
Melbourne Duryea arrived in Melbourne in 1852 at the time of the gold rush, but may have despaired of striking it rich, as around September 1853 he set up a partnership with Archibald McDonald as "Duryea and Macdonald, Daguerrean Artists" at 3 and 5 Bourke Street, East Note the spelling "Macdonald" in all publicity. and sold their mining equipment. By September 1854 they had opened studios at 9 Collins Street West and advertised their offices at 5 Bourke Street to let. Sanford followed his brother to Australia in 1854.
In 1854 they opened a studio in Geelong and one in Hobart at 46 Liverpool Street on 11 December 1854, and exhibited that same year in the Melbourne Exhibition.
Their partnership was dissolved January 1855 Sanford spelled as "Sandford" and Duryea was in Adelaide late that month, but the Liverpool Street, Hobart business was still advertising as "Duryea and Macdonald" in April, when Duryea's Adelaide studio was opened. It was in August, at his new Launceston studio, that McDonald began advertising as "Macdonald and Co,".
The Bourke Street business was taken over by Dr. Thomas Adam Hill (died 2 June 1897),Hill, a friend of Richard Hengist Horne and correspondent of Charles Dickens is himself an interesting subject. then in 1862 bought out by Johnstone and Co.,Henry James Johnstone was not only a noted photographer, but a fine painter, whose works hang in many national galleries. which in 1865 became Johnstone, O'Shannessy and Co with the addition of partner Emily O’Shannessy, and later Scott, Johnstone, & O'Shannessy, who were represented in Adelaide by the Melbourne Photographic Company at 16 Rundle Street.
Photography business in Adelaide He was soon touting for business (as M. Duryea, presumably to emphasise his French ancestry) at his studio upstairs 68 King William Street, at the corner of Grenfell Street rented from Alexander Hay.
He worked in the prosperous country towns Gawler and Burra in December 1855, when the style of the company changed to "Duryea Brothers", indicating that Sanford was running the business in his brother's absence.
He was in the Clare district around 1856, where he photographed John and Rebecca Ross.
He visited Port Lincoln in August 1857, (assistants perhaps Harvey and Hawson)
Sanford left for Fremantle, Western Australia in 1857
Nixon and Duryea 1857–1859
In 1859 he began supplying photographic materials to other photographers. Soon after, his advertisements described him as a "photographist" rather than a "Daguerrean Artist", the Daguerreotype process having been rendered largely obsolete by the collodiotype, ambrotype and albumen print.
The partnership with Sanford was dissolved 1863
He introduced the Sennotype process, for producing superior tinted photographs, to South Australia.
Selected works The achievement for which Duryea is best remembered is his Panorama of December 1865. Taken from the "Albert Tower" of the Town Hall, it is composed of 14 photographs which Townsend made in the course of one day.
In 1866 he commenced another speciality – vignette cartes de visite. One of the first to order was Commodore Sir William and Lady Wiseman.
A notable production, a group photograph of the staff of Harris Scarfe was presented to the founder, George Harris, on his departure for England in 1867.
Townsend Duryea was appointed official photographer for the 1867 visit of Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, to Adelaide in 1867. He produced a bound booklet to present to His Royal Highness as a souvenir of his visit to Adelaide, and was rewarded with authority to use the slogan "By Royal Appointment".
In August 1868 he commenced a series of portraits of every member of the judiciary and parliament
In 1871 he made a giant mosaic of 520 men attending a banquet given for "Old Colonists" in Adelaide by the merchant Emanuel Solomon In 1903 a copy of this picture was donated to the Public Library, who made every effort to identify the subjects. This reference lists those names identified to that time. A similar set of photographs (one of the men and one of the women) made by H. Jones was presented to the Library in 1910. This reference lists (where known) ship and date of arrival of each subject.
Such was the rate of progress in photography in those days that photographs taken by Duryea in 1871, when shown at The Crystal Palace Exhibition in 1879, were criticised for their quality and small size, especially as compared with those of Queensland.
The Fire His studio was destroyed by fire early on the morning of Sunday 18 April 1875. The gas main tap had not been turned off, which may have exacerbated the situation, and the storeroom contained flammable chemicals and papers, but the inquest conducted by J. M. Solomon JP could not determine the initial cause. The adjacent buildings (Victoria Chambers on King William Street and the offices of Francis Clark and Sons on Grenfell Street) were saved from severe damage by the Fire Brigade, but the incident prompted calls for a permanent Fire Station. After some dispute, the total of the £1,456/13/4d claimed from his insurers was paid out, but Townsend had lost some 50,000 glass slides of inestimable historic value. Photographs salvaged from the fire were made available to the public by Duryea at the Adelaide School of Photography, 51 Rundle Street, in June 1875.
Townsend Duryea left for Europe late May 1875 to organise re-stocking.
The owner at the time of the fire was George Prince; rebuilding was completed by the following February.
After the Fire By November 1875 Nixon had bought the King William Street business and put Manning in as manager. Also public notice from Saul Solomon denying responsibility for "peremptory demands for payment" issued by Duryea.
Manning bought "Duryea's Studio" 1 April 1878 from Nixon. Just prior to this a photograph of Abraham and Matilda Wallace with their daughter Annie was taken in this studio. The Wallaces were described as Pioneers of The South-East.
In the 1890s he began offering enlargements, the use of bromide paper, and use of the "American airbrush" for touching up and colouring.
In 1902 the studio moved to the first floor, 37–39 Rundle Street, previously Mrs Aish's Café de Paris.
In 1911 the company became by amalgamation the Thelma-Duryea studio.
Other activities
Boatbuilding Using the experience of boatbuilding he had acquired in America, he built the 30 foot centre-board cutter Coquette, intended for trade on the River Murray and Lake Albert, on Magill Road behind the Maid and Magpie Hotel. Coquette had her first real trial at Wellington against two entirely different classes of boat and failed to show superiority but in a widely anticipated race at Milang on 23 September 1858, she won convincingly against the Lady MacDonnell owned by Hughes and Carter of Wellington. In a return match on 21 October, Coquette led all the way, on each occasion winning for her owner £50. Duryea disposed of the boat by raffle later that year. A later owner was Henry Jackson Moseley, owner of Glenelg's Pier Hotel. In 1865 he fitted a steam engine to her, renamed her Enterprise and used her for collecting oysters.
Duryea Mining Association Townsend's original training was as a mining engineer, and formed a company Duryea and Co. which bought several claims at Wallaroo, section 471 being proved highly prospective, having near the surface a seam of some of the richest ore ever found. and a prospectus released by directors Duryea, Edward John Peake SM and George Dehane in April 1861, offering shares to the public. The first General Meeting saw B. T. Finniss elected Chairman in place of the major shareholder, Mr. E. J. Peake. Other directors in 1862 were E. F. Macgeorge, H. C. Gleeson and H. C. Uhlman. The first Secretary, James Litwell Alsop, sacked for neglecting his duties, was nevertheless found not guilty of embezzlement. After three years of indifferent results, the directors sold the mine to the Yorke's Peninsula Company. The mine never showed a profit.
Retirement He moved to Yanga Farm near Yanga Lake on the Murrumbidgee River some 13 km from Balranald. He later moved to Parkside, Glen Emu, near Balranald, where he suffered a stroke then died on 13 December 1888, after falling from a buggy in which he was riding with his daughter.
Duryea Street, Balranald may have been named for him or his family.
Family Duryea married twice in the United States: to Madelina Paff on 20 March 1844 at Hempstead, Queens, New York and had three children; and Elizabeth Mary Smithsometimes reported as Elizabeth Murray Smith about 1854 at Long Island, New York and had five children.Noye, R. J., 'Duryea, Townsend (1823–1888)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, accessed 2 February 2012
He married Catherine Elizabeth Friggens (1847–1925) on 22 May 1872 at her residence in Adelaide, South Australia and had five children.
His children included: Townsend Duryea (born circa 1855) married Catherine MacCorquodale (1863 – 27 Jun 1942), the daughter of Duncan MacCorquodale, on 28 August 1885 at the Unitarian Church, Wakefield Street, Adelaide, Townsend died 14 May 1924 at Port Pirie. He showed promise not only as a photographer, winning various prizes at the Society of Arts, but as an athlete. He exhibited oil paintings at Moonta 1877 He settled in Port Pirie, South Australia in 1910 Townsend Duryea (27 October 1885 – 19 December 1888) born in Fisherville, South Australia, died Henley Beach Alva Duryea (11 January 1888 – ) born in Malvern, South Australia, attended Kyre College (now Scotch College) Elvira Jean Duryea (24 February 1890 – ) born in Walkerville, South Australia, married William Percival Allen Lapthorne in Melbourne in 1916 Victor Roy Duryea (14 February 1892 – 11 November 1957) Lance Duryea (10 March 1895 died 15 days later) Clyde Duryea (2 March 1898 – 31 May 1963) Edwin Duryea (22 May 1857 – 26 August 1945) born in Norwood, South Australia, was a successful student at St. Peter's College in 1868 then moved to North Adelaide Educational Institution (Nesbit & Drew's) in 1870, where his brother Townsend Duryea (jun) was already a successful student. He was a photographer and artist in watercolours. He died in Enfield, South Australia Richard L. Duryea (25 October 1859 – 7 May 1951) a prizewinning student at Glenelg Grammar School. was involved in photography. He married in 1927! Frank Duryea (1 June 1861 – 31 December 1936), a prizewinning student at Glenelg Grammar. was involved in photography. Elizabeth Ann Duryea (22 June 1865 – ) He married Catherine Elizabeth "Kate" Friggens (misreported as "Friggins") (28 November 1847 – 10 November 1925) on 22 May 1872 BMD (SA) 91/479 has "Friggens" Alfred Nixon Duryea (23 December 1874 – 2 November 1949) settled in Balranald, New South Wales and had a large family. Alice Duryea (c. 1875 – ) Catherine P. Duryea (1877–1951) born in Balranald married Ernest Campbell in 1903 Arthur Duryea (1879–1951) born in Balranald, died in Redfern, New South Wales Walter Joseph Duryea (1882–1972) died in Horsham, Victoria
Associates Sanford Duryea