In the early 1900s, the people of Port Adelaide were either off to war or toiling long days on the fishing docks, scraping by with meagre finances. A photograph was a “cherished opportunity,” and a luxury few could afford. That is, until Albert Ernest Bond stepped behind the camera and now, more than a century later, you can travel back in time.
The Port Adelaide Maritime Museum’s ‘Mr Bond’s Studio: Port Adelaide through the Lens’ invites you to view over 2,000 glass plate negatives from the early 1900s to the 1940s, taken by Mr Bond and recovered in his studio basement decades later.
“You can see people who would have worked on the docks, people who were coming in from the navy ships and going off to war. You can trace the fashions of the time and you can sort of trace world events as well,” says Emma Haddy, Digital Curator at the History Trust of South Australia.
“It really gives you a sense of just the people of the port at the time and how they were reacting to what was going on around them globally.”
The story behind the exhibition is as intriguing as the photos themselves. The negatives, recovered in Bond’s old photography studio on St Vincent Street, are semi-degraded and, adding to the allure, Bond himself isn’t in any. A man who brought to life the faces of the 1920s, all but his own.
“There’s a sort of mirroring effect on the negatives because they did degrade over time. That sort of cloudiness that you see on them would not normally happen, but it’s a chemical reaction that adds to a bit of the charm of our collection because it tells the story of how they’ve then been rediscovered,” she explains.
“Even though we have all of these photographs, we have no photographs of Mr. Bond himself. He was a very prominent person in bringing photography to Port Adelaide, and that’s sort of all we know.”
Catering to the wants of us modern folk – to make new things look retro – they have an Instagram filter to copy the charming filmy haze.
The exhibition serves as an incredible deep dive for history buffs and Port Adelaide locals but also gives context to aesthetics dominating popular culture. If you own a vintage camera, a Polaroid, or dabble in film photography, it’s up your alley.
“People love getting vintage cameras. I see that all the time on TikTok. Getting a bit of a background behind some of those trends makes engaging in that kind of content creation even more meaningful,” says Emma.
The space has been designed to feel like stepping into a time capsule, mimicking the lush velvet drapes, elaborate art deco furniture and painted backdrops of the iconic studio. And, lucky for visitors, they can not only visually transport, but feel like they’re stepping into the portraits themselves.
“It almost feels like a time travel…it’s a recreation of exactly how it was in the 1930s. Painted backdrops, luscious greenery and beautiful scenery like an English countryside. We’ve even included a little photo booth so you really do feel that sense that you’re back in that time.”
To top it all off, the museum is hosting ‘Salty Sessions: Click!’ – a night that brings Mr Bond’s Studio to life through a fun-filled, after-hours evening.
DJ Ruby Chew will spin 1930s-inspired tunes while you sip local craft gin and enjoy treats from Mayfair Bakery. Visitors are encouraged to dress up and, most importantly, take photos.
“We chose to centre around Bond because the idea of photography is quite timeless. We all take photos every day now with our phones, but a lot of us don’t stop and think about where that came from and how we started taking photographs in the first place,” she explains.
Special guest speakers including Emma, as well as photographer Dr Andrew Dearman, will also be there to share stories from the collection. You’ll even hear from Port Adelaide local Lachlan Haig, who has a personal connection to one of the images.
As for why you should attend, “It’s going to be a really fun way of engaging in a museum space. It’s somewhere we don’t normally have food and drink. We don’t normally have a DJ playing in a museum” shares Emma.
“I like to say that you wouldn’t have the maritime industry at the Port without the people and you wouldn’t have the people at the Port without the maritime.”
Celebrate the legacy of mysterious Mr Bond and uncover the stories of Port Adelaide while you sip, dance, and snap your own memories. Pull out your vintage pieces, we know you want to, and we’ll see you there.
‘Salty Sessions: Click!’ is proudly supported by a City of PAE grant
WHAT: ‘Mr Bond’s Studio: Port Adelaide through the Lens,’ and ‘Salty Sessions: Click!’
WHEN:
Museum, 10am – 5pm, every day
Event, 04 April 5:30pm – 8:30pm
WHERE: 126 Lipson St, Port Adelaide SA 5015
For more info:
‘Mr Bond’s Studio: Port Adelaide through the Lens’
‘Salty Sessions: Click!’
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