STEPHEN SPURLING III - Interesting Real Photo cards, etc

[Ross Ewington]

As we already have topics devoted to R.C. Harvey, J.W. Beattie, H.J. Hellesey et al it's time to get some of your
more interesting real photo cards by Stephen Spurling III out and scanned !!

To start the ball rolling, here is a top class card by Spurling that was sold recently on eBay.
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Apparently, there was text on the reverse that indicated that this is a view across the Inglis River looking at Wynyard
BUT it looks to me more like Ulverstone .....wider river, need for a ferry service (sign in closest boat reads in part "Licensed to carry..."), etc.

Am I right?

Footnote: If you have a few hours to spare, there are 552 of Spurling's photos available for viewing online at the
National Library of Australia ...... I believe many of these were produced as postcards.

Link: http://nla.gov.au/nla.pic-an21697618 .... to return to this topic, please use your backspace key.

[Mike]

Ross, this is indeed the Inglis River at Wynyard.

Scan 1 Same as real photo, Spurling No 582. The ferryman is a Mr Anderson.

Scan 2 Real photo, from Wharf looking across the Inglis River to the ferryman's boatshed and Fossil Bluff. Notice the ferryman in the his rowing boat. No photographers name. Could be Ernest Winter ?

Scan 3. Double view postcard Spurling No 580, view of Wynyard. Notice wharf area and Hotel to the left.

[Mike]

Pine Lake, Central Highlands. Its intersting to note that Spurling has no markings on this card to indicate that he was the photographer. So I presume that because he has used this card for his personal use, he thought his signature was sufficient!



Card sent and signed by S.Spurling (Jn) thanking Major Smith of Deloraine for the splendid fish. I presume they were trout.



The printed version of the postcard. Spurling No. 254. Postally used Deloraine 1910 to Bothwell.

[Ross Ewington]

I have recently come across a small number of cards which appear to be from the same
series .... views have all been from Cradle Mountain are or from the East Coast.

Each card is slightly small than standard postcard format and are printed on Kodak Austral
paper (most of the stamp boxed have crosses in all corners ... I have only seen one card
with just a single cross in the UR corner).
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Does anyone know approximately the period of issue of these cards or have any other examples?

Views Seen So Far - I will keep this updated as different cards are reported

Crater Lake, Cradle Mt, ..
Isle of the Dead, Port Arthur ...
St Helens, Tas (2 examples)
Twisted Lakes, Cradle Mt ... I have also seen this card entitled "The Twisted Lake ..."
.

[Colin Salt]

Another Spurling card.
Card number 831.Cataract Gorge.

[Ross Ewington]

"Queen Victoria Hospital, Launceston" endorsed on back (which is divided) - unused/undated
but next to the line that reads 'Correspondence Address Only" is "B71" ... does anyone know
what this signifies?

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The building looks huge until you notice the nurses on the top verandah!

[cobba]

Postmarked 1915 Spurling Photo Postcard. I believe this to be Steve Spurling 111 on horseback with his camera in the central highlands. Any thoughts after reading the card would be appreciated.

Regards Kerry

[christineburgess]

Re dating the Spurling postcards:

The date of the 'Pine Lake, Great Lake Track' image is uncertain, but the postmark on the first postcard suggests it is early 1900s. This image is available in the National Library of Australia collection at http://nla.gov.au/nla.pic-an21697618-148.

The 'Isle of the Dead, Port Arthur' image appeared in the 'Weekly Courier', on 29 November 1917, p. 17, so the photograph dates from 1917 or earlier.

The 'Twisted Lake' image appeared in the 'Weekly Courier' on 10 August 1922, p. 21 and the 'Crater Lake' image in the same paper on 1 June 1922, p. 23. These two images were taken on Stephen Spurling 3rd's trip to Cradle Mountain in February 1922 (see my thesis, 'The Spurling Legacy and the emergence of wilderness photography in Tasmania' (2010) at: http://eprints.utas.edu.au/10507/ - Chapter 5, pp. 305-311). Note the figure clinging to the cliff in the left hand corner of the 'Crater Lake' image. This is probably Gustav Weindorfer.

The 'Man on a Horse' postcard. I can confirm that the handwriting is definitely Stephen Spurling 3rd's. Dating the photograph is rather more difficult (I can't quite make out the postmark). However, the most likely date is Easter 1905, when Stephen Spurling 3rd made his first trip to Cradle Mountain (see my thesis, 'The Spurling Legacy and the emergence of wilderness photography in Tasmania' (2010) at: http://eprints.utas.edu.au/10507/ - Chapter 5, pp. 298-304). I have not seen this image before - it is very interesting. It was possibly taken at Middlesex Plains.

[Mike]

A few bits of Spurling ephemera.

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[Mike]

A Spurling advertisement from the 1928 / 1929 "Hotel and Boarding House Directory, Tasmania".

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[Mike]

Dated on back 14/12/07

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Spurling blind stamped bottom right corner. Who are these gentlemen? Is it W H King on the left?

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[Ross Ewington]

Here's an identified photo of W.H. King

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Does the nose looks similar to that of the rider on RH side of the card?!?

[Mike]

3 x Spurling real photo sporting postcards.

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The Tasmanian Eight which won the interstate Eights in Western Australia. PU Launceston 1907

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North Vs South at Show Ground 1914. (I presume this is the North Team?)

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Finish of the Launceston Cup 1906. PU Lauceston 27/11/06.

[Ross Ewington]

This real photo card with simple "S. Spurling Photo" two line imprint has
"Taken August 1909" written on the back and has been endorsed in pencil (at a later date)
"SPURLING L'TON HOME"

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Questions: 1) is it in fact a Spurling home and if so ...2) which Spurling ... II or III?

Footnote: the card has not been postally used but is addressed to a Miss R. Pitchford, N35 Lytttleton St., Launceston

[Mike]

The 1904 Tasmanian Post Office Directory lists Stephen Junior and Senior both living at 19 Elphin Road. The 1913 edition lists Stephen (I presume Junior) living at 27 Bourke St Launceston. I do not know this street, so I cannot confirm the house featured on the postcard is in fact Spurling's house. Perhaps a Launceston member can help?

[GarethL]

Does anyone have any idea of any archival records, relating to Steven Spurling III? I've read the excerpt of his biography on line, have checked the Trove, and purchased an article if his published in the Bengal Natural History Society, and will be contactjng LINC Tasmania. But I was wondering if anyone here had any further ideas. Thanks for reading.

[Ross Ewington]

Hi Gareth

have your read Christine Burgess' doctoral dissertation on the Spurlings?

https://eprints.utas.edu.au/10507/

cheers ... Ross

[GarethL]

I've read the section on number 3. I found a reference there to an article of his and bought it via The Trove/ or LINC I'm never sure. Unfortunately it turned out to be a dead end.

[Mike]

It is still possible to come across little unrecognised treasures now and again.

I found this real photo card by Stephen Spurling recently. The card is postmarked 22nd May 1905 and is addressed to Spurling's sister Stella ( full name Stella Nightingale Spurling) who was a school teacher at Low Head. The card is written in Stephen Spurling's distinctive hard writing and is signed "Steve". See other cards in this post to compare. The card has the embossed "S Spurling Photo" located on the bottom right side. The card states " This is a scene near Billops beyond Cressy showing part of Western Tiers". Billops was a family property. There is a Billops Road and a nearby Billop Bluff.

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