Henry Krischock

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The Floods in Adelaide Last Week. (Click on image to enlarge)
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Victoria League Settlers' Welcome Committee (Click on image to enlarge.)

Working at the beginning of the twentieth century, photographer Henry Krischock was one of Adelaide’s best-known personalities. Well known for his newspaper work on the Adelaide Advertiser and Chronicle where he worked for thirty years, Krischock was also a highly respected commercial photographer. He was one of the first South Australians to adopt cinema techniques, making newsreels and documentaries for the Wondergraph Co. from the start of their production in 1911. Krischock's first cinematographic film, Adelaide in a Hurry, showed city people in their daily activities. He was Wondergraph's contract cameraman in 1912 and his film of the Melbourne Cup that year was shown in Adelaide one night after the race was run.

Krischock was known for his technical prowess and his ability to cover all forms of news. He covered Royal visits, , the opening of Parliament, fires, accidents, and agricultural shows and daily life for the 30 years during which he was associated for the Advertiser and the Chronicle. 'The work took him to all parts of the State, and occasionally to the eastern states. It brought him into contact with the late King George V (as Duke, of York), King Edward VIII (as Prince of Wales), King George VI (as Duke of York), and the Duke of Gloucester, Governors, State and Federal Cabinet Ministers, and Test cricketers. In short, he covered people from all walks of life in the news.

Krischock's first newspaper job was with a weekly paper, the Critic which was started in Adelaide about 1900. The work, however, did not occupy his whole time, and he risked his entire capital on the purchase of all the best photographic equipment to be had at the time. With this he began rapidly to make a name for himself as an outdoor photographer. His interest in technological change is what saw him adopt cinema techniques as well as still photographs.

Krischock was known to be a kind and generous man, but also quick tempered, garrulous and extroverted. He was best-known for his photographs of sport and twice fell foul of football umpires by intruding on the ground and querying their decisions. Whereas other press photographers were careful with their reels of film, Krischock sat high in the stand at Adelaide Oval during cricket matches and snapped incessantly with a telescopic lens.

Krischock died on 25 October 1940 at the age of 65. His profession was more a 'ruling passion' than a means of livelihood and he enjoyed the hurly-burly of photographing the unexpected. To him, 'a chance missed was a picture lost'.

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