Fred Kruger (born Johan Friedrich Carl Kruger, 18 April 1831 – 15 February 1888) was a German-born photographer noted for his early photography of landscape and indigenous peoples in
Victoria
Victoria most commonly refers to:
* Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia
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* Victoria, Seychelle ...
, Australia.
Migration to Australia from Germany
Kruger was born of a working-class family on 18 April 1831 at 16 Steingassestrasse,
Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...
, Germany, and was baptised Johān Friedrich Carl Krüger. He traded as an upholsterer and in 1858 married Auguste Wilhelmine Elisabeth Bauman at
Friedrichwerder Church in Berlin. It is thought that his wife and son migrated to
Victoria, Australia
Victoria is a state in southeastern Australia. It is the second-smallest state with a land area of , the second most populated state (after New South Wales) with a population of over 6.5 million, and the most densely populated state in Au ...
on 23 April 1863, some time after his own arrival. He initially joined a partnership in a furniture business that his brother Bernard established at
Rutherglen
Rutherglen (, sco, Ruglen, gd, An Ruadh-Ghleann) is a town in South Lanarkshire, Scotland, immediately south-east of the city of Glasgow, from its centre and directly south of the River Clyde. Having existed as a Lanarkshire burgh in its own ...
in 1854. Kruger subsequently became the sole owner of the business, but then sold it before 1866, when he set up as cabinetmaker in
Taradale.
Photographic career
Also in 1866, Kruger first registered his photography business at 133 Cardigan Street,
Carlton
Carlton may refer to:
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* Carlton (name), a list of those with the given name or surname
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, Melbourne, before moving it in August 1867 to High Street,
Prahran, Melbourne, continuing there until 1871, then relocating in
Preston
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England
*Preston, Lancashire, an urban settlement
**The City of Preston, Lancashire, a borough and non-metropolitan district which contains the settlement
**County Boro ...
to High Street and again to Regent Street in that suburb.
During this period, Kruger was achieving international recognition for his
landscape photography
Landscape photography shows the spaces within the world, sometimes vast and unending, but other times microscopic. Landscape photographs typically capture the presence of nature but can also focus on man-made features or disturbances of landscapes ...
, including the award of medals from both the 1872 Vienna Exhibition and the 1876
Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition. He became the first photographer to take group photos of the
first Aboriginal cricket team in 1866, which became one of his most recognised images, and was subsequently commissioned in 1877 by the
Aboriginal Protection Board to create a collection of work including portraits of the Aboriginal residents of the
Coranderrk reserve, an
Aboriginal reserve run by the
colonial government of Victoria, which was made public in 1883. Kruger won more awards; a gold medal for the best collection of landscape views and another, for the best panoramic view of
Geelong
Geelong ( ) (Wathawurrung: ''Djilang''/''Djalang'') is a port city in the southeastern Australian state of Victoria, located at the eastern end of Corio Bay (the smaller western portion of Port Phillip Bay) and the left bank of Barwon River, ...
, at the Geelong Industrial and Juvenile Exhibition in 1879.
In March 1879 Kruger was photographing groups of Geelong residents, ensuring each person could easily be identified in his detailed views, as he did when photographing the
Corio Bay rowing crew in November 1879.
Reception
Kruger's works are held in most national collections including the
National Gallery of Australia, the
National Library and in the
National Gallery of Victoria where successive curators have provide commentary on his imagery.
Jennie Boddington in 1980 observed Kruger's capture of significant detail in his scenes,
while Dr Isobel Crombie, NGV Curator of Photography in 2012 concurred;
Geelong and later life
Kruger then settled in Geelong permanently, and his photography studio is registered on 29 December 1887 at Skene Street, in the Geelong suburb of Newtown. He created a collection in 1880 of twelve views of the streets and buildings of Geelong, winning him an award at the
Melbourne International Exhibition (1880). The government of Victoria engaged him to photograph the
Yan Yean Waterworks for the
Colonial and Indian Exhibition in London. Kruger gained commissions from house owners to photograph their homes, most famous of which was from Lady Loch, the wife of the
Governor.
Kruger made three visits to the
Queenscliff region in 1881, 1882 and 1885, capturing views to include the buildings of the settlement and its marine setting.
On 15 February 1888, Kruger died of peritonitis (inflammation of the membranes of abdominal wall and organs). Large holdings of his work have been showcased at the
National Gallery of Victoria.
Projects and exhibitions
Kruger's work has been showcased all over the world. One of his most famous pieces of work was the very first group photo of the Aboriginal cricket team, this piece of work was named "Aboriginal Cricketers of Coranderrk", taken in 1866. He had also taken portraits at his studio of the three managers of the Aboriginal cricket team.
Kruger concentrated on landscape photographs,
a comprehensive exhibition of which, ''Fred Kruger: Intimate Landscapes,'' was held at the
Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia from 4 February to 8 July 2012, featuring over 100 prints of towns, buildings and streets familiar to present-day Victorians; the Esplanade at
Queenscliff,
Point Lonsdale and the
You Yangs, amongst other locations around Victoria. Kruger's expansive but richly detailed views provide visual data on the social and political standards of Victoria in the mid to late 1800s. This collection of images displays how the Europeans changed the environment in imposing their culture while also preserving a sense of the natural picturesque.
Awards
* 1872 Vienna exhibition in Austria: Gold Medal
* 1876 Philadelphia Centennial exhibition, Gold Medal
* 1879 Geelong Industrial and Juvenile exhibition
* 1880 Geelong Industrial and Juvenile exhibition
* 1880 Melbourne International exhibition
* 1886 Colonial and Indian exhibition
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kruger, Fred
Australian photographers
1831 births
1888 deaths
Indigenous rights
German emigrants to Australia
Landscape photographers
Aboriginal Australian health
19th-century Australian photographers