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Frank Corley collection
Frank Corley was a professional photographer who came to Brisbane from the southern states. He was the owner/operator of a company called the Pan American Home Photographic Co., the photographic division of F. & E. Corley Interstate Enterprises & Co.
He was not well known among the photographic community in Brisbane, and when he died on 19 October 1995, the only obituary to be located was published in the Photography magazine, Volume 6, 1995. The obituary was written by professional photographer Doug Spowart who was instrumental in the photographic collection coming to the John Oxley Library.
The images are black and white photographs of individual houses, about postcard size, taken in most suburbs of Brisbane and in country areas such as: Ipswich, Redcliffe, Toowoomba, Stanthorpe, Bundaberg, Maryborough, Gympie, Hervey Bay, Kingaroy, Nambour, Caboolture and Landsborough. The collection held by the library comprises about 50,000 prints taken in the early 1970’s that were not purchased by householders.
The operation consisted of Frank Corley cruising up and down suburban streets in an open top Cadillac car taking pictures of the houses. It is thought that his wife processed the images in a caravan nearby and then the prints were offered for sale to interested householders. The images often appeared as a Christmas card or calendar, the latter costing 99c with a 17c commission for the salesman. Sometimes these salesmen were moved to record on the back of photographs their reception at various houses. Some of the more printable quotes included:
- "Dog bites"
- "Too many pensioners in area"
- "Two ferocious alsatians - DON'T GO IN"
- "Occupant dead - Therefore wouldn't buy or speak to me"
- "If you wanted to see an out and out idiot, call and see this woman"
- "Note this woman 'reckons' she already knocked the photo back, lying cow"
- "Frank, this bloke said he was going to take legal action against his house picture being taken, Cliff."
(Taken from information collated by State Library of Queensland volunteer, John Wilson)
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Last updated: 7th February 2008
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