Saturday, March 29, 2014

Counterfeit + Joseph Henry Soden


Counterfeit. Photomontage. Julie Clarke 2014
There’s a narrative to each of my photo-montages.
Last Monday I was admiring (and eventually bought) an Art Deco, Marcasite ring from a local jeweler. I thought that Marcasite was just a fancy name for Iron Pyrite (Fools gold) and had a short discussion about this with the owner as I own a small but solid piece of heavy Pyrite.
On Tuesday I photographed the gold colored rock and thought about the notion of counterfeit. In 1990 I used fake gold leaf in some of my drawings as a way of drawing attention to fakery, a term that has intrigued me, especially in the making of art.
Yesterday I was captured by a small old photograph that I saw in a local treasure shop. On the back of this advertising card was the words Soden & Co, Kyneton and Melbourne. I was interested in the fact that the woman (she was either wealthy or dressed in her best clothes for the photographic sitting) was placed beside a false wooden fence with plants. I believe it was typical in the Late Victorian era for photographers to place their subject in a scene, but for me the whole idea of creating an illusion through the photographic process began back then and is continued in the photo-montages that I am producing.
I purchased the photograph and discovered that Joseph Henry Soden, a professional photographer from London came to Australia in 1853; the same year that my great-grand parents arrived in Melbourne. In 1866 he was charged for creating and printing counterfeit One Pound Notes and was placed in Pentridge Prison in 1869. Afterwards he worked with another photographer in Swanston Street, Melbourne and eventually died in 1888 in Sydney. All of this research told me that the object that I had bought was at least 130 years old.
I have to admit that I love the flow and folding back of past and present through a found object.

8 comments:

  1. Hello Julie
    I was recently sent your address regarding this post. I'm really interested in the photo that you found in the treasure store. I am the great grand daughter of Joseph Henry Soden and I have been tracing my family history including searching for Joseph's photographs. I'm interested in knowing where you purchased the photo and possibly getting a copy of it.Can you please contact me. Thanks Janice

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    1. I bought it at a local op shop, however I believe that the State Library of Victoria holds at least one other of his photographic postcards.

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    2. Please contact Anne and Daryl at Serious Recycling: serious.recycling@ yahoo.com.au as they have nine of Soden'ts photographs. Cheers, Julie

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  2. Hi Julie
    I'm interested in Joseph Soden as I am his great granddaughter. I'm researching family history including his photos. Can you please tell me where you found the photo and if it would be possible for me to get a copy? Regards Jan

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    1. Please contact Anne and Daryl at Serious Recycling: serious.recycling@ yahoo.com.au as they have nine of Soden'ts photographs. Cheers, Julie

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  3. Hi, interesting mix of new and old. Would like to find out where you bought the photo as Joseph and his brother John (the Co part) were ancestors of mine.
    Cheers Louise losart@bigpond.com

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    1. Please contact Anne and Daryl at Serious Recycling: serious.recycling@ yahoo.com.au as they have nine of Soden'ts photographs. Cheers, Julie

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  4. I often walked past that op shop Louise, next time I will ask if they have any other of Soden's postcards and then will contact you again, Cheers, Julie

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