Ralph Snowball

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Ralph Snowball
Born19 November 1849
Leadgate, Durham, England
Died4 August 1925 (aged 76)
Wallsend, NSW, Australia
Burial placeSandgate Cemetery, Sandgate, NSW
Occupation(s)miner, photographer
Years active1884–1915
SpouseMary Trotter
Children7

Ralph Snowball (19 November 1849 – 4 August 1925) was an English-born Australian photographer. He had studios in New Lambton and Newcastle, NSW[1] where he created a significant collection of images of Newcastle and surrounding areas in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Personal life[edit]

Snowball was born in Leadgate, Durham, England.[2] At the age of 11 he began working at the Blaydon Main Colliery as a trapper-boy. He worked as a coal-miner in Durham and then in America for three years before coming to Australia.[2]

In 1879 Snowball, his wife Mary and son, George (2) arrived in Australia on board the Ninevah.[1] They settled in New Lambton. From 1883 Ralph Snowball worked at the Lambton Colliery as a miner. He worked at the colliery until June, 1884. After leaving the colliery, he began his career as a prolific photographer.[1]

In 1889 with the formation of the New Lambton municipality, he was appointed the first Town Clerk.[3][4]

He retired as a professional photographer in 1915.[1]

Snowball died aged 76 on 4 August 1925 at Wallsend Hospital and is buried in the Anglican section at Sandgate Cemetery[5] Mary Snowball died on 27 April 1942 aged 90.

Photography career[edit]

Snowball began taking photographs in 1884. The majority of his photographs were taken outside of his studios. His subjects of his photographs reflected the social and economic life of the city, with images of coal mines, Newcastle harbour, school and social club group photos, ships, tombstones and other scenes of interest.[1]

In the early years of his career, his studio and darkroom were in his home in New Lambton. On 28 November 1887 he bought the "Market Studio" in Newcastle from W. F. Roberts. This gave him a base in the commercial heart of the city.[1]

Over the course of his career Snowball took thousands of images. In late 1988 between 700–800 boxes of negatives were found under his house in New Lambton. These boxes contained at least 8,000 glass negatives. After review, 2,000 were discarded due to irreparable damage. The approximately 5,000 remaining negatives were distributed between the City of Newcastle Local Studies Section and the University of Newcastle Special Collections.[6]

Mrs. and Mr. A. Graham's family standing at Stockton with breakwater, masts of shipwreck, and Nobby's Head in background.
Mrs. and Mr. A. Graham's family group at Stockton by Ralph Snowball

Publications[edit]

Gallery[edit]

  • North Stockton ferry wharf
    North Stockton ferry wharf
  • Adamstown Council Chambers
    Adamstown Council Chambers
  • Newcastle Harbour from Fort Scratchley November 1890
    Newcastle Harbour from Fort Scratchley November 1890
  • Lambton Colliery, 1886
    Lambton Colliery, 1886
  • Steam Tram at Parnell Place
    Steam Tram at Parnell Place
  • Tyrrell Street house
    Tyrrell Street house

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f Lovett, Bert (1989). With camera, horse and waggonette : the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie photographs of Ralph Snowball. Newcastle, NSW: Saucy Jack Publications. ISBN 0958751900.
  2. ^ a b "Masonic". Australian Town and Country Journal. 7 December 1889. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  3. ^ "New Lambton". Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate. 6 August 1925. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  4. ^ "Borough of New Lambton". New South Wales Government Gazette. 20 August 1889. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  5. ^ "New Lambton". Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate. 6 August 1925. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  6. ^ Di Gravio, Gionni. "Windows to another time – Ralph Snowball's Glass Negatives". Archives Outside. Retrieved 14 July 2023.

External links[edit]

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