1897 - The era that changed the Hasler's and the fall of Johnstone O'Shannessy & Co.
Since the last post, a little story has evolved that has helped understand what happened to the Hasler's and what the Photographic empire they had created, went through.
Late 1897, was a pivotal year for both Frederick and George's families, that would ultimately change them forever more.
Just before I touch on 1897, a few newspaper clippings have emerged and with the help of the State Library of Victoria. These few events have opened up new view, to what was going on in a pivotal time of the Company's story.
In 1895, the Johnstone O'Shannessy empire had seen many changes in their business. They were surviving through a recession around this time. Portrait photography - IMHO - waned, but for those with money, they did still acquire photographs for their families.
From what I can gather, I feel Emily Hasler did still contribute to the business itself, by controlling it's direction on where it was headed, well she was a major Shareholder in the company in anyways. This period was hard to figure out if either George or Emily was "steering the ship".
Up to this point, I considered George as the Captain, but I soon learned that Emily was still around.
In September 1895, Johnstone O'Shannessy, opened a Tea Room on their First Floor of their "234 Collins Street" address. It was named "Melbourne Tea Rooms". The below newspaper clipping shows that Emily is at the forefront of this venture. It included quite the "Socialite" society.
This Tea Room was opened up about 3-4 years after Hopetoun Tea Rooms located within "The Block" arcade (just 100 metres down the road). From what I can gather, these Tea Rooms, were the Women's variant of the "Men's Smoking Room's". A perfect place to host a gathering of women, to fulfill their social side, whilst their Husband's worked. Emily's social side has now come out to play. It also explained a much earlier period, why George and Emily's 2 Daughters - Ethel and Muriel, were well within the social circle and were quite the musician's. Both girls played musical instruments and put on shows, during Emily's social gatherings.
This clipping is dated 12 Sep 1895 and shows what happened during this event. What surprised me much in this write up, was the people who were there. Relatives of Nicholas Fitzgerald (believe it to be of the Castlemaine Brewery Fitzgerald's?) and relatives of Sir Charles Gavan Duffy.
These 2 families would have been very well known to the Hasler's, particularly back in Ireland.
Duffy had sat for a portrait done by Johnstone O'Shannessy as well.
It seems that in these times of change, it does look like the Hasler's had to drum up a bit more business, in which they had to offer what was more of a social side to the business. The social side led to more opportunity to "coerce" people to have a portrait sitting.
This is what I see as diversification or in a way, it could be by just plain marketing your merchandise, to increase sales. For instance, Sir Arthur Snowden had an image done by the studio in 1895.
A couple of questions went through my mind, on what allowed them to reformat the studios on the First Floor?
Did business drop off that much, that they had to diversify and incorporate a Tea Room to get an influx of people through the doors? Or was it done purely to co-incide with the Social Society? Testing times, but these 2 questions remain unanswered.
Entertainment in the form of acting plays out fitted in with the Studio's social society.
Everything was going according to plan, until late 1896. It seems by this newspaper clipping, that the Tea Room business as such, was either "Sold Off" or mutually agreed upon, to let someone else take control of it.
From October 1896 to about mid 1897, nothing much was happening with the company. It was a bit odd to see the company offloading the Tea Room circle.
Another paper clipping shows the Company had "complied " with a Government Act about "Proprietary Companies" in May of 1897.
A few months later, revealed the story.
On the 10th of August 1897, a sad day for the Hasler's. George Henry Massey Hasler, passed away from a long illness (cancer). By reading the timelines of the Tea Rooms, you could conclude they knew George was ill and they needed to slow down a bit (Hence the sell off of the Tea Rooms).
At this time period, it was not known where his brother, Frederick, was. We can only conclude that Frederick was in Melbourne and taking images at home. There is no mention of Frederick in anything associated with the company at this time. But he was definitely in the background.
After George's death, it shows that Emily was still controlling the business, of course now much older, I do believe that she did make some initial decisions that changed the company's future.
From what I can gather, George died just a few years too early. Emily was to face some decisions that ultimately placed the company in to a downward trend.
What is known (by later documents), is that Emily placed the company in to the hands of her eldest daughter Ethel and her son-in-law Rupert De Clare Wilks (they were married 2 years after George's death). In a manner of a natural progression, the "family hand down" of the company to Ethel and rightfully so. Even though this sounded good to pass down the company, it was not the best business decision for the longevity of the company. I understand why Emily passed down the company, but Rupert, was a solicitor not a photographer. And it shows in time, that the company lost itself or lost it's direction after George's death. The passion of Photography seemed to wane.
In the midst of this, Frederick still had not seen direct action with the company. I just don't see how Frederick was not able to assist with the Melbourne Studio, as he was quite the proficient Photographer. Unless they were ok and thought they could hold their own?
A decision that still baffles me and just after George's death, we see Frederick and the family placed in Adelaide, South Australia.
Frederick was widowed for many years at this stage, so going to Adelaide with the kids, could be seen as some sort of adventure maybe?
I was to learn later, that Frederick took up a photographic business there, in around Rundle Mall. He worked in his own company that was also somehow intertwined with a photographic business called "Wivell & Co", which was also associated with the Eureka Photo Studio.
Frederick became a photographer/enlarger of photos within this company for a few years. The below images depict this Adelaide story.
In learning more about this Adelaide story, we can only conclude that George proposed a partnership with Wivell & Co and acquired some form of business with them, well before 1897. I suspect that's why there is an image of George in Eureka's image.
Just after George's death, it can be concluded that Emily and or Frederick came to some sort of mutual decision about Frederick managing or assisting with the the Adelaide "Eureka" store.
We know after this time period, Melbourne was facing a huge change to the photographical world. The very early 1900's seen an influx of handheld cameras that was aimed primarily at the "Women of the house", so that they could photograph their children. Ridding the necessity of dressing up for a formal sitting at a studio.
This was the game changer for Johnstone O'Shannessy. Neither Emily nor Rupert made plans to avert this or even "go with the the flow". Nothing has been found so far, to suggest that they changed the company's way of business, to suit the new ways of Photography.
In early 1905, a meeting was convened by Rupert and shows that there were plans to "liquidate" the company. By late 1905, the company that was originally headed by Henry James Johnstone and Emily O'Shannessy, known under the name of Johnstone O'Shannessy & Co. was wound up. A photographic business stemming from the early 1860's till 1905, had come to an end.
It is believed that the lease of the Collins Street address was up in 1905 and the photographic company allowed it to be expired.
In my opinion, the resultant death of George in 1897, poor decisions in a every changing photographical world and a lease expiration due, allowed the company to be liquidated.
At the liquidation sales, it seems a person bought the "brand name" of Johnstone O'Shannessy and rebadged it as Johnstone O'Shannessy & Falk. From 1905 till the late 1920's, this business was carried on by different management at a different studio. The building at 234 was demolished and replaced with "234 Howey Place", which was demolished again and made way for the "Sportsgirl Centre" and then renamed and remodeled as "twothirtyfour" today.
Frederick moved back to Melbourne where he died in 1920. Emily died about a year later.
Frederick & wife Eliza together with George & wife Emily, are both buried in the St. Kilda Cemetery in Melbourne.
Since the last post, a little story has evolved that has helped understand what happened to the Hasler's and what the Photographic empire they had created, went through.
Late 1897, was a pivotal year for both Frederick and George's families, that would ultimately change them forever more.
Just before I touch on 1897, a few newspaper clippings have emerged and with the help of the State Library of Victoria. These few events have opened up new view, to what was going on in a pivotal time of the Company's story.
In 1895, the Johnstone O'Shannessy empire had seen many changes in their business. They were surviving through a recession around this time. Portrait photography - IMHO - waned, but for those with money, they did still acquire photographs for their families.
From what I can gather, I feel Emily Hasler did still contribute to the business itself, by controlling it's direction on where it was headed, well she was a major Shareholder in the company in anyways. This period was hard to figure out if either George or Emily was "steering the ship".
Up to this point, I considered George as the Captain, but I soon learned that Emily was still around.
In September 1895, Johnstone O'Shannessy, opened a Tea Room on their First Floor of their "234 Collins Street" address. It was named "Melbourne Tea Rooms". The below newspaper clipping shows that Emily is at the forefront of this venture. It included quite the "Socialite" society.
 |
| Ethel & Muriel Hasler Circa late 1880's - early 1890's |
 | |
| 12th Sept 1895 - Melbourne Punch |
This clipping is dated 12 Sep 1895 and shows what happened during this event. What surprised me much in this write up, was the people who were there. Relatives of Nicholas Fitzgerald (believe it to be of the Castlemaine Brewery Fitzgerald's?) and relatives of Sir Charles Gavan Duffy.
These 2 families would have been very well known to the Hasler's, particularly back in Ireland.
Duffy had sat for a portrait done by Johnstone O'Shannessy as well.
It seems that in these times of change, it does look like the Hasler's had to drum up a bit more business, in which they had to offer what was more of a social side to the business. The social side led to more opportunity to "coerce" people to have a portrait sitting.
This is what I see as diversification or in a way, it could be by just plain marketing your merchandise, to increase sales. For instance, Sir Arthur Snowden had an image done by the studio in 1895.
A couple of questions went through my mind, on what allowed them to reformat the studios on the First Floor?
Did business drop off that much, that they had to diversify and incorporate a Tea Room to get an influx of people through the doors? Or was it done purely to co-incide with the Social Society? Testing times, but these 2 questions remain unanswered.
 |
| 21st May 1896 - Melbourne Punch |
 |
| 13th Aug 1896 - Melbourne Punch |
Entertainment in the form of acting plays out fitted in with the Studio's social society.
 |
| 22nd Oct 1896 - Melbourne Punch |
From October 1896 to about mid 1897, nothing much was happening with the company. It was a bit odd to see the company offloading the Tea Room circle.
Another paper clipping shows the Company had "complied " with a Government Act about "Proprietary Companies" in May of 1897.
A few months later, revealed the story.
On the 10th of August 1897, a sad day for the Hasler's. George Henry Massey Hasler, passed away from a long illness (cancer). By reading the timelines of the Tea Rooms, you could conclude they knew George was ill and they needed to slow down a bit (Hence the sell off of the Tea Rooms).
At this time period, it was not known where his brother, Frederick, was. We can only conclude that Frederick was in Melbourne and taking images at home. There is no mention of Frederick in anything associated with the company at this time. But he was definitely in the background.
After George's death, it shows that Emily was still controlling the business, of course now much older, I do believe that she did make some initial decisions that changed the company's future.
From what I can gather, George died just a few years too early. Emily was to face some decisions that ultimately placed the company in to a downward trend.
What is known (by later documents), is that Emily placed the company in to the hands of her eldest daughter Ethel and her son-in-law Rupert De Clare Wilks (they were married 2 years after George's death). In a manner of a natural progression, the "family hand down" of the company to Ethel and rightfully so. Even though this sounded good to pass down the company, it was not the best business decision for the longevity of the company. I understand why Emily passed down the company, but Rupert, was a solicitor not a photographer. And it shows in time, that the company lost itself or lost it's direction after George's death. The passion of Photography seemed to wane.
In the midst of this, Frederick still had not seen direct action with the company. I just don't see how Frederick was not able to assist with the Melbourne Studio, as he was quite the proficient Photographer. Unless they were ok and thought they could hold their own?
A decision that still baffles me and just after George's death, we see Frederick and the family placed in Adelaide, South Australia.
Frederick was widowed for many years at this stage, so going to Adelaide with the kids, could be seen as some sort of adventure maybe?
I was to learn later, that Frederick took up a photographic business there, in around Rundle Mall. He worked in his own company that was also somehow intertwined with a photographic business called "Wivell & Co", which was also associated with the Eureka Photo Studio.
Frederick became a photographer/enlarger of photos within this company for a few years. The below images depict this Adelaide story.
In learning more about this Adelaide story, we can only conclude that George proposed a partnership with Wivell & Co and acquired some form of business with them, well before 1897. I suspect that's why there is an image of George in Eureka's image.
Just after George's death, it can be concluded that Emily and or Frederick came to some sort of mutual decision about Frederick managing or assisting with the the Adelaide "Eureka" store.
 |
| Frederick J Hasler - Eureka Photo Studio's circa. early 1900s |
We know after this time period, Melbourne was facing a huge change to the photographical world. The very early 1900's seen an influx of handheld cameras that was aimed primarily at the "Women of the house", so that they could photograph their children. Ridding the necessity of dressing up for a formal sitting at a studio.
 |
| George Hasler circa 1890's |
This was the game changer for Johnstone O'Shannessy. Neither Emily nor Rupert made plans to avert this or even "go with the the flow". Nothing has been found so far, to suggest that they changed the company's way of business, to suit the new ways of Photography.
In early 1905, a meeting was convened by Rupert and shows that there were plans to "liquidate" the company. By late 1905, the company that was originally headed by Henry James Johnstone and Emily O'Shannessy, known under the name of Johnstone O'Shannessy & Co. was wound up. A photographic business stemming from the early 1860's till 1905, had come to an end.
It is believed that the lease of the Collins Street address was up in 1905 and the photographic company allowed it to be expired.
In my opinion, the resultant death of George in 1897, poor decisions in a every changing photographical world and a lease expiration due, allowed the company to be liquidated.
At the liquidation sales, it seems a person bought the "brand name" of Johnstone O'Shannessy and rebadged it as Johnstone O'Shannessy & Falk. From 1905 till the late 1920's, this business was carried on by different management at a different studio. The building at 234 was demolished and replaced with "234 Howey Place", which was demolished again and made way for the "Sportsgirl Centre" and then renamed and remodeled as "twothirtyfour" today.
Frederick moved back to Melbourne where he died in 1920. Emily died about a year later.
Frederick & wife Eliza together with George & wife Emily, are both buried in the St. Kilda Cemetery in Melbourne.
I stumbled across your 4 part story just now and commend the research you have done. I research Australian photographers and have a large collection of J&O'S photos in my collection. Please feel free to get in touch. Cheers! Marcel
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