THE NED KELLY PLATE & THE ROSE STEREOGRAPH COMPANY COLLECTION
LOT 1 A UNIQUE AND HIGHLY IMPORTANT WET PLATE NEGATIVE OF THE KELLY GANG ARMOUR This original postcard sized plate negative, taken by Oswald Thomas Madeley, depicts the bush forged armour used by the Kelly Gang at the Glenrowan siege of June, 1880, and measures 8.5 x 13.5 cm. The negative was acquired by the Rose Stereograph Co. and titled number ‘1’ for reproduction in the ‘Rose Series’ of postcards. The State Library of Victoria notes that Ned Kelly’s armour is one of the “most iconic artefacts from Australian history”.[1] The tale of Kelly and his gang, clad in bush forged armour crafted from stolen plough mouldboards, apparently impervious to harm during a final shootout with police at Glenrowan, is one of legend. Vivid reporting of this scene immediately captured the attention of the public as newspapers globally shared the tale and described the fabled appearance of the Kelly Gang. The image, captured by Oswald Thomas Madeley, a watchmaker by trade, shows the armour at rest; disassembled pieces of bullet dented iron and Ned’s rifle are arranged on a lawn in one of the most iconic examples of crime scene photography Australia has ever known. Madeley took several photographs both during and after the Glenrowan shootout but the image of the armour can be seen as a synecdoche for the Kelly gang, their crimes and their enduring legend. The Rose Stereograph Company, founded in 1880 by George Rose, was a repository of quintessential Australian images. While initially focusing on stereographs – cards that appeared three dimensional when seen through a special viewer – interest in the Victorian craze waned after the advent of the moving image and Rose moved his attention to producing postcards. The negative of the Kelly Armour was acquired by the Rose Stereograph Co circa 1908 and titled number ‘1’ for reproducing in the Rose Series. A pioneer of photographic art in Australia, the images published by The Rose Stereograph Co were widely shared and have always been highly collectable. Important historical pieces relating to the Kelly Gang are rare to emerge for public sale; other significant articles that have been offered include the ceremonial sword awarded to Sergeant Steele for apprehending Ned Kelly, sold at Sotheby’s for $45,600 in October 2008, and the famous Ned Kelly boxing match photo, sold by Leonard Joel for $68,200 in March 2018. For Sale By Expressions of Interest
LOT 2 THE ENTIRE ROSE STEREOGRAPH COMPANY COLLECTION The Rose Stereograph Collection, believed to be the largest collection of Australian imagery in existence, represents 140 years of historical photography. The collection comprises approximately 200,000 images across the mediums of stereographs, glass negatives, black & white postcards, colour postcards, transparencies and digital images. Approximately 16,000 glass negatives, 59,000 black & white and colour postcards, 35,000 colour transparencies, 5,000 35mm transparencies and 80,000 digital images make up the collection. For Sale By Expressions of Interest
THE ROSE STEREOGRAPH COMPANY ARCHIVAL NEGATIVES & IMAGES Photographer Image Type
Number
Area
Size
Date
George Rose
Approx. 200
Australia, Europe, Japan & China
105mm x 190mm
circa 1880-1900
George Rose, Glass Negatives Approx. 16,000 Herbert Cutts, Neil Cutts
Australia, Fiji, Suva, a Papua New Guine
142mm x 92mm
circa 1900-1965
George Rose, Herbert Cutts, Neil Cutts
Postcards (b/w), Rose Stereograph Co. Valantine Series
Approx. 53,400
Australia
142mm x 92mm
circa 1908-1965
Neil Cutts, Stephen Cutts, Jeffrey Cutts
Postcards (colour), Rose Stereograph Co. Valantine Series
Approx. 6,000
Australia
142mm x 92mm
circa 1969-2018
Neil Cutts, Colour Transparencies Approx. 35,000 Stephen Cutts, Jeffrey Cutts
Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, China, USA
6 x 7in
circa 1967-2010
Neil Cutts
35mm Transparencies
Approx. 5,000
Australia
45mm x 45mm
circa 1965-1980
Steohen Cutts, Jeffrey Cutts
Digital Images
Approx. 80,000
Australia
HI RES FILES
2010-present day
Glass Negatives / Stereographs
CATEGORIES OF IMAGERY Stereographs & Glass Negatives (1880-1950)
Postcards, Transparencies and Digital Images
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PANORAMAS, AUSTRALIA WIDE
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PANORAMAS, AUSTRALIA WIDE
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ABORIGINAL PORTRAITS
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STREETS & RAILROADS, BRIDGES, HOTELS & POST
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SPORTING EVENTS (AFL TEAMS, HORSES & CRICKET PLAYERS)
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OFFICES
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AUSTRALIAN WILDLIFE
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STREETS & RAILROADS, AUSTRALIA WIDE
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WAR MEMORIALS
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WAR MEMORIALS
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BEACH SCENES
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OVERSEAS HISTORICAL IMAGES (EGYPT, JAPEN, ITALY, FRANCE), CIRCA 1890
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TOURIST DESTINATION PHOTOGRAPHY
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BOATS, TRAINS, AUTOMOBILES
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CELEBRITY PORTRAITS & ADVERTISEMENTS CIRCA 1890-1920
•
BEACH SCENES
(1950-2018)
EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST Leonard Joel is delighted to offer for sale, by expressions of interest, the archival negatives and images of The Rose Stereograph Company. Led by the iconic Ned Kelly Plate, the collection presents a unique opportunity to acquire a visual reference library of over 140 years of Australian history. All expressions of interest must be received by 5pm on 15 November.
John Albrecht Managing Director & Head of Collections john.albrecht@leonardjoel.com.au leonardjoel.com.au