Harold Cazneaux - Australian Observer

The photographs of Harold Cazneaux are timeless in their creative beauty and their extraordinary tonal qualities.

Cazneaux was the leading exponent in Australia of the school of 'pictorial photography.' Indeed, Max Dupain once called him 'the father of modern Australian photography.' The pictorialists argued that every photograph should be a work of art and that the camera was an aesthetic instrument to be used on the way to a final image rather than a purely functional tool. This approach is most evident in Cazneaux's bromoil prints, in which the final image is produced by brushing an oil pigment on to the surface.

The National Library of Australia is the home of the principal archive of Cazneaux prints and negatives, thanks to the generosity of the Cazneaux family. The recent exhibition Harold Cazneaux Photographs, a collaborative venture with the Historic Houses Trust of New South Wales, has introduced audiences across Australia to this remarkable photographer.

Browse the exhibition, look at the exhibition catalogue, read a short biography of the photographer and his family. Peruse other collections and resources relating to the work of Harold Cazneaux.

The Library has also produced two publications about the photographer: Harold Cazneaux, Photographer and The Quiet Observer.