Saul Solomon (photographer)
{{Short description|English-born Australian photographer (1836–1929)}}
{{Use Australian English|date=August 2021}}
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Saul Solomon (15 January 1836 – 2 May 1929) was an English-born Australian photographer.
Biography
Born in Knightsbridge, the son of Lawrence Solomon, of Grosvenor Square{{cite news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article211703671 |title=Family Notices |newspaper=The Northam Advertiser |date=11 October 1916 |access-date=14 January 2018 |page=2 |via=Trove}} He left for Australia on the Gambia,{{Citation | author1=Solomon family | title=Solomon family | date=2001 | url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/198290757 | accessdate=15 January 2018 }} Despite the title, Saul was not clearly a member of the widespread and influential family epitomised by Vaiben Louis Solomon a vessel of 1000 tons (not Gambier) in June 1852. He prospected for gold in Bendigo, Victoria, ran a photographic business in Bourke Street, Melbourne, then Ballarat and finally Adelaide where he worked for many years with Townsend Duryea, finally founding the Adelaide School of Photography, owned by Duryea. He was one of the founders of the Adelaide branch of the Independent Order of Oddfellows. After the fire in Duryea's studio, the School building took over much of the functions of the King William Street premises.{{cite news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article40090909 |title=Advertising |newspaper=South Australian Register |date=30 June 1875 |access-date=3 February 2012 |page=7 |via=Trove}} He was co-founder with Robert Carr Castle (1835 – 14 June 1896) in 1879 of the Academy of Music (despite its grandiloquent title, actually a place of light entertainment) on Rundle Street, which burnt down three times.{{cite news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article53693188 |title=The Late Mr. R. C. Castle |newspaper=South Australian Register |date=15 June 1896 |access-date=31 October 2018 |page=4 |via=Trove}} He was a member, and for a time chairman, of the consortium that in 1885 built the Adelaide Arcade.
He was elected to the House of Assembly for East Torrens in 1887,{{Cite SA-parl |pid=3936 |name=Saul Solomon |former=yes |access-date=13 December 2022}} beating The Hon. Thomas Playford.{{cite news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article37170736 |title=The People's Representatives |newspaper=The South Australian Advertiser |date=7 April 1887 |access-date=4 February 2012 |page=6 |via=Trove}} In 1890 he moved to Mount Gambier, where he ran one of the leading hotels.{{cite news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article35730093 |title=The Late Saul Solomon |newspaper=The Advertiser |date=15 May 1929 |access-date=24 September 2015 |page=15 |via=Trove}}
The family moved to Northam, Western Australia, where he ran an extensive farm "Morby" and a bacon factory, and was a foundation member of the Northam Agricultural Society.{{cite news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article37721193 |title=Northam Show Executives |newspaper=Western Mail |date=27 September 1934 |access-date=14 January 2018 |page=4 |via=Trove}} He served as mayor for over 20 years,{{cite news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article38883462 |title=Mostly Personal |newspaper=Western Mail |date=9 May 1929 |access-date=14 January 2018 |page=4 |via=Trove}} and was active in the Mechanics' Institute and School Board.{{cite news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article211852611 |title=Local and General News |newspaper=The Northam Advertiser |date=19 May 1915 |access-date=14 January 2018 |page=2 |via=Trove}} He died in 1929; Patti died four years later; they had celebrated their diamond wedding in 1926.
Family
Solomon married Martha "Patti" Kemp (20 May 1846 – 25 October 1933){{cite news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article33309723 |title=Family Notices |newspaper=The West Australian |date=26 October 1933 |access-date=14 January 2018 |page=1 |via=Trove}} in Carlton, Victoria on 13 October 1866
- Joseph Francis "Joe" Solomon (1870– )
- Emma Amelia Solomon (1873– )
- Laurence Alexander "Alex" Solomon (1875 – March 1924)
- Mabel Patti Solomon (1877 – 18 November 1924) married William P. Dempster, eldest son of Hon. C. E. Dempster
- Bertram Marcus "Bert" Solomon (1879 – )
- Herbert Abraham Solomon (1881 – 16 April 1901) died in South Africa during the Boer War
References
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Category:Australian photographers
Category:Photographers from Adelaide
Category:People from the Colony of Victoria
Category:Colony of South Australia people
Category:Members of the South Australian House of Assembly