Fred Kruger
Fred Kruger | |
---|---|
Born | Johan Friedrich Carl Kruger 18 April 1831 Berlin, Germany |
Died | 15 February 1888 |
Known for | Photography |
Fred Kruger (born Johan Friedrich Carl Kruger; 18 April 1831 – 15 February 1888) was a German-born photographer noted for his early photography
Migration to Australia from Germany
Kruger was born of a working-class family on 18 April 1831,
Photographic career
Also in 1866, Kruger first registered his photography business at 133 Cardigan Street,
During this period, Kruger was achieving international recognition for his
In March 1879, Kruger was photographing groups of Geelong residents, ensuring each person could easily be identified in his detailed views, as he did when photographing the Corio Bay rowing crew in November 1879.
Reception
Kruger's works are held in most national collections including the National Gallery of Australia,[9] the National Library[10] and in the National Gallery of Victoria where successive curators have provide commentary on his imagery. Jennie Boddington in 1980 observed Kruger's capture of significant detail in his scenes,
"Like Atget, [Kruger] shows the keen awareness of an observer who catches the seasons' flight and the daily plodding tread of history. He journeyed many miles with his equipment in the photographic cart...patiently collecting hundreds of images of immaculate and unpretentious veracity. We must look closely to get the full value of his sense of history: in small details in countless views, usually in the lower foreground, are the little figures he has assembled to tell us about those people and times and places, with a great deal of precious visual information."[11]
while Dr Isobel Crombie, NGV Curator of Photography in 2012 concurred;
"Kruger's sweeping view shows his sophisticated understanding of how an image can be constructed to encourage viewing. He positions people strategically throughout the photograph and at a slight remove so that they are part of, rather than dominant figure in, an intricate visual imaging of the populated landscape. Kruger was also careful to articulate each element clearly, and this clarity greatly appealed to nineteenth-century tastes..."[12]
Geelong and later life
Kruger then settled in Geelong permanently, and his photography studio was registered on 29 December 1887 at Skene Street, in the Geelong suburb of
Kruger made three visits to the Queenscliff region, in 1881, 1882 and 1885, capturing views to include the buildings of the settlement and its marine setting.
On 15 February 1888, Kruger died of peritonitis, in the Melbourne suburb of Surrey Hills. Large holdings of his work have been showcased at the National Gallery of Victoria.[13]
Projects and exhibitions
Kruger's work has been showcased all over the world. One of his most famous pieces of work was the very first group photo of the Aboriginal cricket team, named "Aboriginal Cricketers of Coranderrk", taken in 1866. He also took studio portraits of the three managers of the team.[14]
Kruger concentrated on landscape photographs,[13] a comprehensive exhibition of which, Fred Kruger: Intimate Landscapes, was held at the Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia from 4 February to 8 July 2012, featuring over 100 prints of towns, buildings and streets familiar to present-day Victorians; the Esplanade at Queenscliff, Point Lonsdale and the You Yangs, amongst other locations around Victoria. Kruger's expansive but richly detailed views provide visual data on the social and political standards of Victoria in the mid to late 19th century. The collection of images displays how the Europeans changed the environment in imposing their culture while also preserving a sense of the natural picturesque.[15]
Awards
- 1872 Vienna exhibition in Austria: Gold Medal
- 1876 Philadelphia Centennial exhibition, Gold Medal
- 1879 Geelong Industrial and Juvenile exhibition
- 1880 Geelong Industrial and Juvenile exhibition
- 1880 Melbourne International exhibition
- 1886 Colonial and Indian exhibition[16]
References
- ^ Crombie, Isobel & Kruger, Fred, 1831-1888 & National Gallery of Victoria (2012). Fred Kruger : intimate landscapes (1st ed). National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
- ^ Kruger, Fred (1890). Album of the kings & queens of Victoria. s.n, Australia
- ISBN 0642081522.
- ISSN 0066-7935
- ^ National Gallery of Victoria & Boddington, Jennie (1922- ) & Kruger, Fred, 1831-1888 (1983). Fred Kruger, 1831-1888. National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
- ^ Lydon, Jane (2013). The flash of recognition : photography and the emergence of indigenous rights. Chicago University of New South Wales Press
- ^ Lydon, Jane & Coranderrk Aboriginal Station (2005). Eye contact : photographing indigenous Australians. Duke University Press, Durham, N.C
- ^ "Fred Kruger (1831–88)". NGV. Retrieved 26 December 2020.
- ^ "NGA collection search results". artsearch.nga.gov.au. Retrieved 8 February 2020.
- ^ "Trove search results for 'Fred Kruger' - Pictures, photos, objects". Trove. Retrieved 8 February 2020.
- ISSN 0066-7935
- ^ Dr Isobel Crombie. Fred Kruger: Intimate Landscape, Photographs 1860s – 1880s. Melbourne: National Gallery of Victoria, 2012, pp.122-125.
- ^ a b "Johan Friedrich Carl Kruger :: Biography". Design and Art Australia Online. Retrieved 6 June 2015.
- ^ "Johan Friedrich Carl Kruger :: Works". Design and Art Australia Online. Retrieved 6 June 2015.
- ^ "Fred Kruger: Intimate Landscapes" (Press release). National Gallery of Victoria. 18 January 2012. Retrieved 6 June 2015.
- ^ "Johan Friedrich Carl Kruger :: Exhibitions". Design and Art Australia Online. Retrieved 6 June 2015.