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lithographic artist, engraver and draughtsman, was born in Hamburg, Germany, son of Joseph Hamel, an accountant, and Frederica, née Bloch. He studied in Hamburg and Paris then moved to Nottingham, England. Hamel came to Victoria in the Great Britain , arriving at Melbourne on 12 November 1852. After spending about a year on the Bendigo and Ballarat goldfields he moved to Melbourne and worked as a lithographic artist and draughtsman with J.S. Campbell & Co. and the succeeding firms of Campbell & Fergusson, and Fergusson & Mitchell. He lithographed E.L. Bateman 's drawing McIvor Diggings, July 26, 1853 , published by J.S. Campbell & Co., but most of his work at this time was in the form of sale plans, many of which included small vignettes of scenery or buildings.

In 1857 Hamel went into partnership with Henry Locher . They exhibited specimens of lithographic chalk printing and chromolithography in the 1858 Victorian Industrial Society Exhibition but the partnership terminated with Locher’s death that year. Hamel then operated as Hamel & Co., his firm exhibiting specimens of lithography and engraving on vellum at the 1861 Victorian Exhibition. He joined with the lithographic printer John Ferguson in 1864. The firm of Hamel & Ferguson is now best known for printing and publishing von Gué rard 's Australian Landscapes (1866-67) and S.T. Gill 's Australian Sketchbook (1865). The partnership was dissolved in 1889 and Hamel continued on his own account until bankrupted in 1893; then his business was assigned for the benefit of his creditors and sold.

Hamel was closely involved with the St Kilda School of Art and Design, being its superintendent in the early 1870s. He resigned in March 1873. He was a member of the Victorian Lithographic Artists and Engravers Club but did not join any local fine art society. Well known in Australian chess circles, he played in the first chess tournament in Melbourne and in intercolonial matches in 1879, 1880 and 1884, was a foundation member of the Melbourne Chess Club and later an honorary member.

Hamel had married Harriet, fourth daughter of William Eldershaw, a stationer of London, and Harriet, née Casey, in Christ Church, St Kilda, on 1 November 1862. He died at his St Kilda home on 14 May 1894 and was buried in St Kilda Cemetery, survived by his wife and seven children. His son Edward Henry was a lithographic draughtsman and illuminator while William Sigismund, also a lithographic printer, carried on his father’s business for a time.

Very little original work by Hamel is recorded apart from his many illuminated addresses (La Trobe Collection, State Library of Victoria, Melbourne). The finest of these in Australia is the set of Statistics of the Municipality of St Kilda, made in 1861 and shown at that year’s Victorian Exhibition. Hamel, as Hamel & Ferguson, illuminated some fine addresses presented to Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh on his Australian tour in 1867-68, all now in the Thuringisches Staatsarchiv at Schloss Friedenstein, Gotha, where a large and complete collection of original addresses presented during his various visits to Australia is held. One was given to the duke by the Melbourne City Council on the laying of the foundation stone of the Town Hall. Another, presented by the Corporation of Melbourne, was reported by the Argus of 25 November 1867, p.6, to have included 'beautifully executed coloured vignettes of the principal buildings of the city – some being drawn as they now are, and others as we hope one day to see them’ (ill. Hawkins). Both were bound by William Detmold and cased by Henry U. Alcock (ill. Hawkins). The Argus noted that the same artists (the firm of Hamel & Ferguson) had also finished another address for presentation by 'the Hebrew congregation of Bourke-street’. On 27 December 1867 the Duke laid the Foundation stone of the Mechanics Institute at East Collingwood and again received a Hamel & Ferguson illuminated address. This one included vignettes of stonemasons at work and an elevation of the completed neoclassical building (Hawkins, 96-97, ill. 97).

In 1867-68 Hamel lithographed a series of illustrations for Dicker’s Mining Record consisting of copies of German mining scenes from old German prints and Ballarat mining scenes based on photographs. In 1859 he had published a series of portraits titled The Men of Victoria , but whether or not these were drawn by him is unknown. At least one portrait was by Frederick Schoenfeld , whom Hamel employed as a lithographic artist.

Writers:

Darragh, Thomas A.

Date written:

1992

Last updated:

2011