Dorothy Izard : A very fine portfolio

Written by Susan Robbins, 2022

Dorothy Izard was born in Brighton, England, the youngest of 7 children. The Izard family owned the Lion Mansion Hotel in Brighton, which was famous in its day as prime ministers and royalty stayed in its rooms.

In 1894 when Dorothy was 11 her horticulturalist father moved most of the family to Mildura, Victoria in search of a new life. They were lured by an enticing marketing campaign spearheaded by the Chaffey brother’s ‘Red Book’ which promised but failed to deliver great opportunities in the region. Family records show they even bought a new piano to take with them to the colonies. Sadly, Dorothy’s mother died 3 years after their arrival.

Dorothy moved to Melbourne to study art at the National Gallery School of Design where she studied under Frederick McCubbin and many other artists. In his classes she met Ruth Hollick who was to become her lifelong personal and professional partner. Interestingly, neither Dorothy nor Ruth studied photography. Dorothy became a landscape photographer, while Ruth was extremely well known for her portraiture. The pair travelled around regional Victoria where Ruth photographed wealthy families of the district. At their Moonee Ponds studio, Dorothy printed Ruth’s photographs.

Dorothy and Ruth purchased fellow photographer Mina Moore’s studio at 167 Collins St Melbourne when Mina retired and worked as photographers from that space until 1929. As Ruth’s fame grew, they became part of the in-crowd and were known for hosting fabulous parties. The National Library of Australia holds several of their party invitations, where dancing was a feature.

When the depression hit, money for family portraits became scarce and Dorothy and Ruth moved back to their home studio in Moonee Ponds. Dorothy’s profession during this time is listed as ‘stenographer’. Her work was less in demand than Ruth’s, so she was obliged to take on non-photographic work.

Dorothy’s sister Ethel married Ruth’s brother Edgar which is how they became known as the two aunts by the next generation.

In 1950 Dorothy and Ruth travelled overseas for the first time, to the UK for a year. Letters reveal they visited family and friends and undertook some sightseeing trips including around Scotland. Dorothy’s diary of their Scottish trip is reflective of her photographer’s eye.

“…the water at the hotel – the colour of tea – because of the peat bogs but I loved it – the soft as silk variety…”

“…the roads are narrow and one must wait in alcoves to let cars and buses past. Cows, sheep, hens and children just have to be manoeuvred…”

The shipping documentation has them both listed as photographers.

On their return from the UK Dorothy and Ruth moved to Heidelberg.

Dorothy died in 1972 aged 89. She suffered with atherosclerosis for the last ten years of her life, but as a Christian Scientist, she shunned the medical profession and no treatment was administered.

A collection of Dorothy’s photographs (gelatin silver photographs) are housed at the National Gallery of Victoria, some are online but the remainder may not necessarily be on permanent display. A collection of glass negatives and gelatin silver prints are available online via the State Library of Victoria

About the author: Susan Robbins is the 2x great niece of Dorothy Izard. Her family has an extensive collection of archival material relating to the Izards including letters, diary entries, photos, various receipts, miscellaneous documents and newspaper clippings, which are fascinating reading. Of particular interest is a personal album containing photographs of Dorothy and Ruth’s many Australian travels, rescued from under the laundry sink when Dorothy died.