Henry King

Henry King (7 March 1855 – 22 May 1923) was an English-born Australian photographer, known for his studies of Australian Aboriginal people and his views of Sydney. King was one of Australia's most significant early photographers, described by the Australian Photographic Review as "stand[ing] high in the esteem of the craft". Life Henry King was born in Swanage, Dorset, England, the son of a stonemason, William Isaac King 1832–1916 and his wife Eliza, née Tomes 1834–1912. King's family emigrated to Australia arriving in December 1856. In 1878 he married Elizabeth Lang. King's career as a photographer began in the Sydney studio of J. Hubert Newman. From 1880 King had his owned studio, initially in partnership with William Slade, at 316 George Street Sydney. Between 1889 and 1894 King travelled widely in New South Wales and Queensland, making many photographic studies of Aboriginal Australians. These were generally half-length portraits, against a painted backdrop. King exhibited some of these portraits at the World Columbian Exposition at Chicago in 1893, receiving a bronze medal. King also printed and exhibited in Chicago many photographs from negatives taken by Reverend W.G. Lawes of people and scenes photographed in New Guinea and islands of the Pacific. In later years he turned to landscape photography, using the dry-plate technique, and produced a great many scenic views of Sydney. He also photographed notable views around New South Wales, including scenes of Jenolan Caves taken using magnesium flares.