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It’s unusual to be able to track any photographer’s path, let alone a woman’s photographic career. However, Dorothy Warner is a rare case in that her career can be tracked through the Australian press – newspapers and magazines. Presented here are some of the texts from her various appearances in the press.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA.
KAPUNDA PHOTOGRAPHIC CLUB.

(Originally published in Interstate News, Australasian Photographic Review, 21 November 1907, pg 431.)

The regular fortnightly meeting was held on 29th October. The President, Mr. M. Thomson, presided over a good attendance of members. Mr. Thomson, in his opening remarks, said he would like to refer to the success of Mr. J. Kauffmann, a member of the Club, who had had three pictures accepted by the Royal Society of London. He believed that two of the three subjects were Kapunda pictures. He also referred to the success of Miss Dorothy Warner (daughter of the Secretary of the Club) at the Women’s Exhibition in Melbourne, where she had gained two first prizes, silver medal, and two special prizes, for photographic work. Mr. Parker said, though Miss Warner was not a member of the Club, she was well known to all of them, and he moved that a minute be made that the Club congratulated her on her success. The proposition was carried unanimously.

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KAPUNDA PHOTOGRAPHIC CLUB

      (Originally published in the Australasian photo-review, 22 October 1909, pgs 551-552)

On September 8th the Kapunda and Light Agricultural Society held its annual show, and as a photographic exhibition is a special feature in connection with this show, the members of the Kapunda Photographic Club made a special effort to keep up, and if possible, to surpass its reputation gained by former exhibitions. It only needed a glance at pictures hung upon the wall to see that the club had excelled itself this year. Altogether there were about 90 framed pictures, 85 of which represented the work of the club members, for although the club gives every facility for outside workers to compete against them, and are desirous of them doing so, few take advantage of the opportunity. It will be noticed from the awards that the indefatigable secretary of the club is once more very much to the fore, while some of the older names have dropped out, and younger ones have taken their places.
The workers were divided into two sections —Senior and Junior—but this year there was no competition in the Junior section, Mr. E. K. Jeffs taking all the prizes. This, of course, meant that there was the keener competition in the Senior division, and Mr. A. H. Kingsborough afterwards acknowledged that he has never had a more difficult lot of pictures to judge, but when his decisions were known, members were unanimous in their praise of his impartial judging. In Portraiture, Mr. T. Warner secured first prize with a carbon enlargement, showing excellent lighting and tonality. This picture also secured the position of champion of the exhibition. Mr S. A. B. Oats was placed second in this class, with a pleasing softly-lighted profile executed in sepia carbon. In Landscape or Seascape, Mr, J. E.A. Klose, the newly-elected President of the Club, secured the first award with a pleasing little green carbon of rather good quality. Mr. T. Warner was placed second.
In Hand Camera Work, Mr. J. E. A. Klose was again placed first, with Mr. Warner second. In Bromide Enlargements, Mr. C. C. Belcher was awarded first place, with Miss Dorothy Warner, and Mr. J. E. A. Klose equal for second place. There was not much competition in Post Cards, Miss Dorothy Warner being awarded first and second prizes.
In Genre, Mr. T. Warner scored first again, with an excellent study of Tyring Wheels; Mr. A. Berrett secured second place with a lucky snap of a person of pronounced Parliamentary debating tendencies, for the moment quite oblivious of the presence of the camera fiend. Mr. T. Warner secured first and second prizes for Flower Studies, and was again successful in gaining first for collection of five pictures ; his daughter, Miss Dorothy Warner, being awarded second place with a collection very little inferior.
Altogether the exhibition was a great success, the pictures being viewed by a large crowd during the afternoon.
J. E. A. KLOSE.
Acting Press Correspondent.

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THE EDITOR’S LOCKER

(Originally published in the Australasian photo-review, 23 September 1912, pg 525)

Yet another lady professional photographer is Dorothy Warner, Kapunda, S.A.,who puts out a dainty four page price list, giving full details of the charges for prints on various papers. Amongst these are platinotype, aristotype, and autotype carbon, showing that Miss Warner’s technical knowledge must be extensive.

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A CHAT WITH A LADY PHOTOGRAPHER.

(Interview, originally published in The Critic, 15 July 1914, pg 26)

Last week a very charming little lady—Miss Dorothy Warner, of Kapunda—called to see us, bringing with her such excellent examples of high-class portraiture that we published three as studies in our last issue.

“What caused me to become interested in photography ?” said Miss Warner. ” Well, for years my father has been enthusiastic over camera work, and often has his photographic friends to stay with him. I was soon imbued with the same ideas, and often joined in the photographic expeditions. Mr. Kauffmann, one of Australia’s leading pictorial workers, encouraged me to use a small camera won by my father at a photographic exhibition. With this camera I did some good landscape work, and in 1906 secured champion prize at a local exhibition”.

And since then ?

“Still improving in 1907, I exhibited in the Adelaide Woman’s Work Exhibition, and secured first prizes in every section for which I entered. These same pictures were then forwarded to the Melbourne Woman’s Work Exhibition, where there was keen competition”.

Were there many competing ?

“Something like three hundred and sixty; but I won first prize silver medal, two special prizes, and a diploma. Also the sum of £5 awarded me for the best picture exhibited. This encouraged me to secure a larger camera, which enabled me to take up home portraiture, and in 1910 exhibited at a local exhibition and secured first prize in portraiture section, Mr. F.A. Joyner being the judge, who, in his remarks, said the work in this section was much above the average”.

By that time you must have realised that photography was your forte?

“Yes; I decided then to make it my profession, and I entered one of the leading city firms for practical experience, and the longer I worked at it the more fascinating I found the work ; and on returning to my home in Kapunda some two years later I started a private studio of my own”.

As a photographer?

“Yes, my speciality being ladies and children’s portraits”.

Do you find it easy?

“Well, the lot of professional photographers would be less difficult if people suffered less from self-consciousness”, replied Miss Warner. “We have to make them forget they are before a camera: and the only way to do it is to act and talk in a matter-of-fact way with them. I have spent as much as two hours taking the photograph of one child, as often they are very shy, and that has to be overcome”.

Do you object to relations and friends being present as well as the subject?

“Yes”, said Miss Warner very emphatically, “I do ! their company is seldom helpful. I give great attention to every sitter to make it distinctive in regard to style and printing”.

Which is your favorite[sic] process?

“Carbon, it being most permanent and artistic. In no other process can you get the wonderful rendering of draperies and half tones. Special attention to the trimming and selection of suitable mounts is essential to make each one a picture as well as a faithful portrait”.

Do you find the public ready to pay for good work?

“They are undoubtedly looking for and expecting something more artistic in portraiture, be it in style of printing, size, or design of mounts, and they are prepared to pay well for anything that pleases them. At least, that has been my experience ; and it is satisfactory to know one’s clients are pleased. It is quite surprising, too, the number of city patrons that have visited my Kapunda studio for sitting : and I am always kept busy, as the work, finishing, &c., has my personal supervision in each department”.

“Yes”, concluded Miss Warner; “the Adelaide public will have the opportunity of seeing my work at the Adelaide Camera Club Exhibition, in Society of Arts Rooms, North-terrace, on July 20, 21, and 22, from 1 to and 8 to 10, where I shall have my collection on view”.

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DOROTHY WARNER
South Australia’s First Woman Photographer

By Muriel E. Farr

(Originally published in The Lone Hand, 1 January 1919, pg 16.)

IT is just twelve months since Miss Warner opened her studio in King William Street, Adelaide, and in that time her venture has passed triumphantly from experimental stages to the realm of assured success, and has banished any doubts she may have entertained as to Adelaide’s need for a woman photographer.

Long before she had any thoughts of taking it up seriously, she served an unconscious apprenticeship to her profession under Mr. Kauffmann, Adelaide’s most noted amateur photographer, and her own father, who was no less enthusiastic. The long tramps in search of suitable “subjects,” and the longer hours spent in the technicalities of camera craft, fostered and encouraged her instinctive love for the work and gave her a foundation of practical knowledge that has since proved invaluable. Then came the Women’s Work Exhibition and her success there (she won all prizes for photography, including the Championship) suggested that her hobby might easily be developed into something more useful. An article on Alice Hughes or Lallie Charles, which she chanced upon about the same time, added fuel to the fire of her resolve, and she determined to adopt photography as a profession. For two years she worked in a leading Adelaide studio, and then returned to her own home at Kapunda, about fifty miles north of Adelaide, and established herself as a photographer. For three years she continued there in a small way, but illness intervened to write a temporary finis to her activities, and she almost decided to abandon the whole idea. However, when an opening presented itself in Adelaide she decided to take advantage of it, and it is a decision she has never had cause to regret.

From the outset she has managed the whole business herself, personally supervising every branch of the work, doing all her own operating, and even —  despite a complete lack of business experience — shouldering the whole of the business responsibility. In this connection she is a strong believer in American methods, and when illness laid her low in the winter, just as she was beginning to work up a connection, she devoted her time to reading everything she could find concerning business management and development. She returned to work just as a huge children’s fancy dress ball was given for one of the patriotic funds, and promptly despatched invitations to some of the small people to come and be photographed. In a few days her showcase was full of miniature cowboys and pierrots, be-crinolined early Victorians and demure heroines of nursery rhyme. A short time later, when the girls from the Red Cross tea rooms staged a brilliantly successful amateur revue, Miss Warner did the same thing, and now business is booming so satisfactorily that she and her three assistants are constantly busy fitting work and appointments in.

In the beginning children bulked largest among her sitters, for she has a happy knack of taking them when they have no suspicion that anything more is afoot than a game in a large, cheerful room with particularly nice toys and a particularly nice girl; indeed, if she has her way, children are only told that they are going to play with some new toys, and photographs and photography are not mentioned at all. Now, however, she numbers amongst her clients just as many grown-ups as children, and she has proved that she can take men and women with equal success. The head-rest she never uses. Her great aim is to get natural pictures, and that, she contends, cannot be done if a head-rest is allowed. It is no small tribute to her that a well-known man who was sceptical concerning women photographers in general, and only suffered himself to be led to her rooms under protest, subsequently admitted her portrait of him the best he had had and followed up his original order by getting one of the colored[sic] miniatures in which Miss Warner specialises.

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