b'155Part 10201021 Recognising the limitations of Kiandra as a winter holiday CHARLES HENRY KERRY (1857-1928), destination, he persuaded the government to open up the A folio of 54 photographs depicting landscapes and activitiesKosciusko area as the main focus for holidays above the in the Snowy Mountains and environs, mostly titled in thewinter snow line. Subsequently, a road was constructed from plate and/or with the KERRY & CO blindstamp. Jindabyne to the Kosciusko Summit. Percy Hunter, the founder approx. 15 x 20cm each. of the NSW Government Tourist Bureau, wrote in 1928 of Charles Kerrys significant contributions to the development Early in his career, Kerry specialised in portraits but branchedof Australian skiing and nominated him as the father of into photographing Sydney scenery and society and eventuallyAustralian skiing.turned his small studio into Australias largest photographic$3,0003,500establishment. Kerry sold albums of high-quality of the countryside. In 1885 he was asked to prepare an exhibit of Aboriginal portraits and corroboree pictures for the 1886 Colonial and Indian Exhibition in London. In 1890 he was appointed official photographer to the Governor of New South Wales, Lord Carrington. In addition to his portrait work, Kerry took on a number of government commissions, including travelling through New South Wales. Kerrys work was greatly facilitated by the invention of the dry-plate process in Europe in 1878. Where once photographs had to be developed on the spot, now they could be taken and developed later in the studio. In 1891, he was commissioned by the government to photograph the Jenolan and Yarrangobilly caves. The project, carried out by candlelight and magnesium flashes, was hazardous. Kerrys photographs of New South Wales were exhibited at the 1893 Chicago International Exhibition. By 1900 Kerry & Co. was the largest photographic establishment in the colony and handled the major illustrations for the local press.A long interest in mineralogy led him to visit Kiandra for the first time in 1894. He returned in 1896 on a photographic tour. He pioneered snow sports at Kiandra and in the winter of 1897, led a party from Jindabyne to the summit of Mt Kosciusko, which led to the opening up of the area for skiing and the naming of a run after him. In 1909 he was elected Founding President of the Kosciusko Alpine Club. Before he (and other photographers like Nicholas Caire, JW Lindt, JW Beattie) brought the beauty of the mountain to the general population, activity in the snow at the end of the 19th century was largely restricted to those who lived in snow prone areas. Places like Kiandra in winter were completely isolated by deep snow drifts and visitors at that season often had to ski 15km to get there. Charles Kerry was the first person to promote the Kiandra Snow Shoe carnival outside the Monaro District and to introduce Sydney visitors to skiing there. He drew the attention of the NSW Government to the regions skiing and the NSW Government Tourist Bureau commenced promoting and organising regular trips to Kiandra for the general public.Ex 1021'