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.
The Mountain Photographer
Phillips became infatuated with the Blue Mountains and
developed a thriving business as a photographer, printer and publisher,
producing at least 80 photographic books in the period 1909–1944. Phillips’
best-selling Blue
Mountains Wonderland: 81 Views had sold 100,000 copies by
1919. He played a vital part in promoting the Blue Mountains
as a tourist attraction in Australia throughout the 1920s-1930s.
One of the greatest
advertisers of the Blue Mountains is Mr Henry [sic] Phillips, the Mountain photographer. The books of views he publishes,
printed and bound with his own plant, are circulated all over the world. They
have even been found in German dug-outs in Flanders. The value of his work is
undoubted…
Smiths
Weekly, 21 March 1919
Beneficial mountain mists
From the late 19th century, Sydneysiders were travelling to the Blue Mountains for the area’s restorative health benefits. The cooler climate and ‘mountain air’ were thought to cure everything from fainting spells to tuberculosis. In 1903 The Blue Mountains Gazette advised its female readers of the benefits of mountain mists:
“…if they really know how beneficial mountain mists are to the skin, we would see more young ladies taking advantage of a misty day for an outing. The dry climate of Australia causes the skin to become dried in appearance. The mist or moisture of the atmosphere is necessary for the production of blooming cheeks. What better than a real heavy mist that sinks into the skin and softens it?”
Blue Mountains Gazette, 5 June 1903
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