Rennie Ellis: a major and unique archive of private and public portraits of the celebrated Australian photographer, taken by his fellow Australian contemporary artists.

A collection of approximately 100 original vintage prints (b/w and colour) spanning the period from the late 1950s to the early 2000s, in various formats up to 250 x 200 mm, plus several later copy prints, all unmounted in individual archival sleeves, and housed in an archival album; the sleeves have briefly captioned labels affixed (written by Manuela Furci of the Rennie Ellis Archive) supplying basic information identifying the photographer and either a location or context, and usually also giving an approximate date; the constant subject in all of these photographs is Rennie Ellis himself, and the majority of the collection comprises a kaleidoscopic mix of private and candid shots of Rennie at work and at play, taken by Rennie (self-portraits) and his circle of friends (often using Rennie’s own camera), all talented photographers in their own right and including (most prominently) Robert Ashton, William Yang, Carol Jerrems, Ian Dodd, John Ogden, Ian Macrae, and Peter Milne; the balance of the collection is made up of a smaller number of more formal posed portraits; the condition of the prints is generally very good, with only a few exhibiting some surface damage, cropping marks or other minor blemishes.

Some key images in the archive:

Carol Jerrems (attributed, using Robert Ashton’s camera). Rennie Ellis and Robert Ashton posing in front of a wall of Carol Jerrems’ photographs (including Vale Street) at Jerrems’ Philip Morris Arts Grant Exhibition, Adelaide, 1978.

[anon.] Rennie Ellis in a London street, 1963.

The Art Department (Melbourne). “Look Big” portraits, 1960 (series).

Rennie Ellis. Contact sheet of self-portraits, 1968.

Robert Ashton (attributed). Rennie Ellis holding ad. for “Rennies” indigestion tablets, 1970s.

[anon.] Robert Ashton and Rennie Ellis bare-chested, 1970s.

Robert Ashton. Rennie Ellis at home in Raleigh Street, Windsor, 1975 (series).

William Yang. Portrait of Rennie Ellis, 1980s (signed by Yang).

[John Ogden?]. Life’s a Beach book launch, 1983.

John Ogden. Life’s a Beer book launch, 1984 (series).

John Ogden. Life’s a Parade book launch contact sheet, 1986.

Ian Macrae. Rennie Ellis in Bevagna, Italy, 2000.

Ian Dodd. Rennie Ellis in his office, 2002 (pair signed by Dodd).