Curio

State Library of New South Wales
Katoomba St. & Clouds, Katoomba

Katoomba St. & Clouds, Katoomba

c. 1915
SPF / 1915
Photoprint

The photographer Harry Phillips (1873-1944) was known for his atmospheric images of the Blue Mountains during the early 20th century. Inspired by the area’s dramatic landscape, Phillips was most passionate about the clouds and mist in the mountains, which became hallmarks of his work.

Born in Ballarat, Phillips worked as a printer in Victoria, Perth and Sydney, before an injury caused him to lose his job in 1908. Unemployed and despondent, he visited Katoomba to recuperate from his injuries, however the Blue Mountains landscape made such an impression on him, he decided to settle there permanently. Harry began experimenting with photography and opened a business in Katoomba Street in 1909. Combining his skill as a printer with his talent for photography, he produced a series of popular Blue Mountains viewbooks and postcards, which have become collector’s items in recent years.

To catch a cloud

Harry Phillips’ photograph of Katoomba Street was taken between 1908 and 1915. At the same time, Phillips operated a photographic business in the same street. This image features dramatic cloud formations in the sky which became an identifying characteristic of much of his Blue Mountains work. Phillips was known to rush out of his shop and disappear for hours to photograph the clouds when the weather turned overcast.