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Image of Camera and Photos. Photo By Dariusz Sankowski –

Top 10 Fascinating Facts about Harold Cazneaux

Harold Pierce Cazneaux was an Australian photographer and author born in March 1878. His parents of English and French descent had first settled in Wellington, New Zealand before moving to Adelaide, Australia.

Harold attended the School of Design, Painting, and Technical Arts in Adelaide whilst working in his father’s studio. When he came of age, he married Mabel Winifred with whom he had five children.

Cazneaux was recognized as the pioneer of the pictorial movement. He was proficient in bromoil transfer printing and a trendsetter for new styles of photography in Australia. His most memorable images were created in the early 1900s.

Harold received numerous London exhibition awards in the 20^th century. He was the co-founder of Sydney Camera Circle, a photographic society aimed at defying the stereotypical European Style of low-toned prints.

Harold served as president of the Photographic Society of New South Wales and was an honorary fellow of the Royal Photographic Society of Great Britain (1937). He died of heart failure in his Roseville home at the age of 75.

1. Both of His Parents Were Photographers

Harold’s parents were both professional artists. His father, Pierce Mott, was an English photographer who worked in Sydney in the late 1800s.   

Before moving to Wellington, Harold’s mother, Emily Florence, worked at a photographic studio as a miniature painter and colorist. She was also a photographer and some of her sample works are exhibited in the National Library of New Zealand.

Pierce and Florence met in Sydney while working at the Freeman Brothers Studio. The two got married and opened up a photographic studio business in Adelaide where Harold first worked.

2. His Interest In Photography Was Inspired By The Pictorial Movement  

In the early 1900s, pictorialism dominated the photography industry in England. Having been born into an artistic family, this form of art sparked Cazneaux’s interest. During this time period, photography aimed to be recognized as a form of art by diversifying from the British norm.

3. Harold Was The First To Hold A One Man Exhibition in Australia

Cazneaux moved from Adelaide to Sydney in 1904 where he worked in Freeman & Co. Limited Studio Company. During his leisure time, Cazneaux walked around Sydney documenting and taking pictures.

He first showcased the photographs in the Photographic Society of New South Wales at a member exhibition and later held the first one-man exhibition (1909) in Australia.

4. Cazneaux Was Rescued From The Brink Of Poverty By A European Publisher

Sydney Ure Smith Australian artist and art publisher. Photo By Max Dupain –

After securing a £100 cheque from winning the Kodak Happy Moment contest, Harold decided to permanently settle in Roseville. He set up his studio in his home but unfortunately became ill.

Harold could hardly fend for himself and Sydney George, a European publisher, decided to hire him as one of the photographers for his magazines Home and Art in Australia. He worked as the magazine’s official photographer from 1920 to 1941.

His Home cover photograph sparked a new trend in London bringing him into the limelight. An exhibition held in the Museum of Sydney (2006) was greatly dedicated to his works on the Home magazine and other unpublished prints.

5. Harold’s Had A Vast Range of Extraordinary Art

Sydney ferry and Harbour Bridge. Photo By Harold Cazneaux –

Cazneaux photography was far from rigid ranging from landscapes to portraits of well-known artists, actors, and musicians. He worked on a variety of projects including magazines, and books.

Harold was the creative mind behind the 50^th edition of The Broken Hill Property Review magazine (1935). Some of the notable books he worked on include Canberra, Australia’s Federal Capital (1928), The Bridge Book (1931), and Frensham Book (1934)

6. He Was The First Australian To Be Conferred By The Royal Photographic Society

Harold’s photos got international recognition and were exhibited in The London Salon of Photography from 1911 to 1952. He and members of the Sydney Camera Circle opened an Australian Salon that promoted their style of art.

Harold became an elected member of the London Salon earning him recognition by Royal Photographic, London’s oldest photographic society. He became the first Australian to be awarded an Honorary Fellowship by the photographic society.

7. Harold Was A Correspondent For A European Magazine For Over 20 Years

Photograms of the Year was an annual magazine that reviewed the world’s pictorial work. Having vast knowledge of photography, Harold worked as a columnist in the company. He was considered ‘Australia’s international voice’.

Harold also wrote for the Australasian Photographic Review and the London Gallery Gazette. He was a columnist for the magazines Lone Hand and Sydney Mail.

8. He Was A Co-founder of ‘The Sunshine’ School of Photography

In a bid to redefine photography in Australia, Harold and 5 of his colleagues founded the Sydney Camera Circle in 1916. The aim of the organization was to promote photography devoted to shadows and sunlight. It was dubbed the ‘Sunshine School of Photography’ because of this characteristic.

Furthermore, the society took in amateur students from Heidelberg School and incorporated their works in their exhibits.

9. Cazneaux’s First Post Mundane Exhibition Was Held In Australia’s Largest Public Gallery

Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 2021. Photo By Kgbo –

Twenty years after his death, Harold’s fine collection was displayed in The Art Gallery of New South Wales. It was the first exhibition to honor the photographer post humorously. The museum is considered one of the oldest and most important public galleries in Sydney.

In 2008, the Art Gallery held another exhibition, Harold Cazneaux; artist in photography, showcasing over 100 iconic images that were taken by Harold.

10. Harold’s Most Famous Landscape Image Is A Notable Landmark Within Flinders National Park

Photograph of a tree at Wilpena in the Flinders Ranges, South Australia. Photo By Harold_Cazneaux . –

In 1937, Harold took a photograph of the Flinders Range landscape. The image featured the Wilpena pound, an Australian amphitheater of mountains, and a river red gum tree which was later named ‘The Cazneaux Tree.’

The title of the photograph, ‘The Spirit of Endurance’, was inspired by the lively solitary tree that managed to withstand the harsh Flinders environment. Preserved in Flinders Range National Park, the Cazneaux Tree is a notable landmark and is classified on the Register of Significant Trees in the National Trust of South Australia.