Hannan Photographic Archives
By Tamara Asmus, WIL student placement (HUMA2000)
Original photographic negatives from the Hannan Photographic Archive were donated to the University of Newcastle’s Auchmuty Library (special collections) in 2014. As a Work Integrated Learning Student (WIL), I was able to have the opportunity to gain experience from the GLAM Lab, how to scan the negatives into digital images, so that the original negative can be viewed and the original negative stored for preservation. This section of photographs that I was able to scan during my placement depicted mine workers and various aspects of a mining area.
- Donated: 17 June 2014 to the Archives at the University of Newcastle (Australia) (now known as Special Collections). Donor: Mr Don McCririck (Third owner of the Company).
- Date Range: 1953 to 2011.The entire archive comprises of approx. one million negatives; it stands as the first complete professional photographic archive ever brought into university custody. It represents a comprehensive photographic record of the Hunter Region during the second half of the twentieth century and will be of enormous research importance and inspiration.
- Hannan Photography consisted of three related entities:
- Hannan Photography – specialising in commercial, industrial, aerial, Public Relations, architectural etc.
- Maltfern Studio – specialising in candid weddings, portraits, Public Relations Public Relations.
- Green Leaves Studio – specialising in formal weddings and portraiture.
There are twenty (20) ledgers that survive that accompany the plates and negatives, the ledgers hold information and detail associated with the individual jobs undertaken. According to Chris Patterson, former photographer employed with Hannan Photography, Mrs Hannan managed these records. Two ledgers relate to Hannan “Green Leaves” Studio located at New Lambton Heights. The other 18 ledgers document the work of Hannan Photography business (presumably, as no business name is recorded) in a mostly unbroken chain from 8/4/1958 to 7/9/2011.
From the Photographs that have been conserved from AHAN00344-AHAN00489, here are 12 images that have been scanned from the original negatives, they mostly relate to mining and industry in the Hunter region.
You can view digitised images available online HERE
You are welcome to use images for study and personal research purposes. Please acknowledge as Courtesy of the Hannan Photographic Archive, University of Newcastle (Australia) Library. If you wish to reproduce this image for commercial purposes, please contact Special Collections.
Project acknowledgements:
Tamara Asmus, Work Intergrated Learning Student, University Of Newcastle.
Gionni Di Gravio, OAM University Archivist.
Dr Amir Moghadam, Conservator.
Dr Ann Hardy, GLAMx Lab and Digitisation Projects Co-ordinator.
Also see related Hannan Photographic Archive posts