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professional photographer, was a founding name partner in the leading photographic firm of Johnstone, O’Shannessy (sic) & Co. of Melbourne (1864-93). Miss O’Shaugnessy, a photographer, was living and working at 18-20 Madeline Street, Carlton, in 1862, according to the Melbourne Directory . During the year she joined the firm of Johnstone & Co., Henry James Johnstone being the name partner while she appears to have been the sole component of the 'Co.’ despite both Mrs and Miss 'O’Shaughnessy’, photographers, being listed at the Madeline Street address in 1863. The firm of Johnstone, O’Shannessy & Co. of 3 Bourke Street East, Melbourne, came into existence in 1864—a name change which probably resulted only because Charles Johnson 's older photographic firm was called Johnson & Co. and this obviously caused confusion. Even when granting her this distinction, Johnstone seems to have misspelt her surname (although it certainly appeared in a great variety of forms in local directories and during the firm’s early years).

Despite the firm’s new name, H.J. Johnstone remained the only visible partner. 'E.K. O’Shaunessy’, still an unmarried woman photographer at the same address, was listed as working with Johnstone in 1864. In 1868- 69 the Johnstone, O’Shannessy partner was listed as 'Mrs E.F.K. O’Shannessy’ of Fitzroy, presumably the same woman with honorific marital status. However, even as a partner in the firm, she was given neither gender nor a consistently spelt surname in exhibition catalogues, reviews and other contemporary records. The firm was occasionally even reported as 'Messrs’ Johnstone & O’Shannessy.

As well as being a flamboyant (male) personality, Johnstone captured the public eye because he took the outdoor photographs and the portraits of male notables. Yet, as Miss O’Shannessy had previously run her own studio, it is unlikely that she worked solely as a photographic colourist or back-room developer. She may have photographed 'the wives’, the only known photograph attributed solely to her being a portrait of Emma Button, said to have been taken by 'O’Shannessy’ by Emma’s widower, Henry Button , when he reproduced it in his reminiscences.

The firm of Johnstone & O’Shannessy exhibited coloured, plain and 'mezzotint’ photographic portraits at the 1866 Melbourne Intercolonial Exhibition which were awarded a medal, the jury commenting on the 'special excellence’ of the work. A large photograph of the Duke of Edinburgh, finished in watercolours, was shown at the 1869 Melbourne Public Library Exhibition—perhaps taken by Johnstone in 1867 and enlarged, printed and coloured by O’Shannessy. Novelty photographs on porcelain coloured in oil and watercolour were shown at the Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition of 1875. From about 1885 a Sydney branch of the firm operated: the San Francisco Palace of Art, formerly the premises of the photographer Thomas H. Boyd. Before expiring after the economic depression of the 1890s, Johnstone, O’Shannessy & Co. were probably Melbourne’s leading photographic firm. Willis notes that they and J.W. Lindt had special pavilions at the 1888 Melbourne Centennial International Exhibition, theirs being lavishly decorated (with satin-covered walls and a miniature fountain) and displaying photographs taken by all existing known processes.

By then, both original name partners appear to have long left the firm. Johnstone had returned to England and there is no evidence for any O’Shannessy involvement beyond the end of the 1860s, despite Cato’s assumption that there was but one (male) O’Shannessy partner throughout. He states that Johnstone, O’Shannessy & Co. enjoyed an immense success, 'for Johnstone was an active Anglican and O’Shannessy an ardent Catholic and soon they got the best of both possible worlds’. Even in 1870, however, the only Miss O’Shannessy (or variant) in Sands & McDougall’s Melbourne Directory was a grocer.

Writers:

Staff Writer

Date written:

1992

Last updated:

2011