Mervyn Bishop photographic prints

fonds

1957-2014

Graphic Materials, Photographs

9682184

215 photographic prints - 52 x 41 cm

Mervyn Bishop was born in July 1945 in Brewarrina, New South Wales. In 1962 or 1963, he undertook a four-year photography cadetship with the Sydney Morning Herald, being the first Aboriginal photographer to be hired by the newspaper and one of the first to become a professional photographer. He completed a Photography Certificate Course at Sydney Technical College and worked for the Herald until 1974, and intermittently from 1979. In 1970, he married Elizabeth (d.1991), with whom he had two children, Timothy (b.1970) and Rosemary (b.1985). In 1971, he won the Nikon-Walkley Australian Press Photographer of the Year for his image 'Life and Death Dash'. Between 1974 and 1980, he was the staff photographer for the Federal Department of Aboriginal Affairs and was assigned to travel and photograph communities and events across Australia. In 1986, he became a freelance photographer, and in 1989, he completed an Associate Diploma in Adult Education at Sydney College of Advanced Education. He then taught photography at Tranby Aboriginal College in Glebe and the Eora Centre TAFE in Redfern, Sydney. In 1991, he had his first solo exhibition, ‘In Dreams: Mervyn Bishop Thirty Years of Photography 1960–1990’ at the Australian Centre for Photography, Sydney. In 2000, he received the Red Ochre Award from the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Board of the Australia Council.

References:
Art Gallery of New South Wales. "Mervyn Bishop". Accessed 7 August 2024. https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/collection/artists/bishop-mervyn/

Australian Museum. "Brewarrina Boy". Accessed 7 August 2024. https://australian.museum/learn/first-nations/sydney-elders/brewarrina-boy/

Design & Art Australia Online. "Mervyn Bishop". Accessed 7 August 2024. https://www.daao.org.au/bio/version_history/mervyn-bishop/biography/

Collection originally compiled by Mervyn Bishop

215 photographic prints, photographed by or featuring Mervyn Bishop between 1960 and 2014. Printed by Warren Macris.

SERIES 1
139 photographic prints from the solo exhibition ‘In Dreams: Mervyn Bishop Thirty Years of Photography 1960–1990’.

SERIES 2
25 photographic prints, taken between 1965 and 2006, exhibited in 'Access All Areas'.

SERIES 3
51 photographic prints taken in Brewarrina, New South Wales, 2013-2014.

Arranged and titled according to contents listing compiled by Mervyn Bishop and vendor.

In copyright:
Copyright holder:: Mervyn Bishop
Please acknowledge:: Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales and Courtesy copyright holder

Title captions taken from Library acquisition file contents lists created by photographer and donor.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders are advised that this collection may include images and names of people who are deceased.