professional photographer, drawing teacher and house painter, was probably a brother of Giorgio Sommer (1834-1914), a German-born photographer who began taking photographs in Switzerland in the early 1850s then settled in Italy. J.C. Sommer came to Tasmania in the late 1850s from Switzerland, according to his marriage notice in the Hobart Town Mercury of 14 August 1858. Sommer 'of Basil’ (sic) was married under special licence to Ann, widow of the late Richard Meredith, an architect of Shanghai, China, at Sommer’s house in Brisbane Street. Early the following year, Sommer began to advertise his services as a 'plain and ornamental painter’ (house painter) while simultaneously conducting a technical drawing school at 39 Liverpool Street, Hobart Town. Soon he was also advertising as a photographer specialising in portraits. During 1861 he travelled around Tasmania taking photographs. An advertisement of 30 January 1862 stated that he had 'just returned from his experimental tour with his newly invented Travelling Exterior Atelier, Commercial, Ambrotype and Photographic Rooms’. John King, sole survivor of the Burke and Wills Australian Exploration Expedition, visited Hobart Town early in 1863 and had his portrait taken by Sommer in March, according to Alfred Abbott .

Sommer advertised continuously until late 1864. He had rebuilt his glass-room and was offering new backgrounds and accessories in September 1863. In August 1864 he was advising potential clients that he was still at 39 Liverpool Street and was available to take 'outdoor and home photographs’, having transferred only part of his business – the studio work – to M. P. Dowling . He was not, however, heard of again in Tasmania, although he may be the 'Conrad’ Sommer who in 1870, proclaiming that he had received 'technical art training in the German Government Academies’, was proposing to set up classes in 'geometrical and freehand drawing’ for artisans in Albury, New South Wales.

Writers:

Staff Writer

Date written:

1992

Last updated:

2011