With reference to the early Durban based photographers Caney, one author recently confirmed the challenge in “disentangling” the relationship between the various Caney individuals.
The number of Caney photographs identified in the Hardijzer Photographic Research Collection also confirms that closer scrutiny was required as to who these photographers were. The photographs in this research collection, all dating from prior to 1905, include studio-based images as well as images captured during the Anglo-Boer war.
This article not only intends to clarify the various links between the Caney men (and possibly one female in the same family), but also corrects some misinformation previously published. The three key aspects that are corrected in this article are:
- Date of Benjamin Williams Caney’s death. All websites state the incorrect date of death – This is a significantly important aspect;
- Benjamin William Caney had four sons who survived into adulthood and not three;
- Benjamin William Caney was not an active photographer during the Anglo-Boer war.
The primary purpose of this article is therefore to determine how the various Caney photographers relate to each other. This required the analysis of internet, archival and photographic sources as it relates to the three Caney brothers who arrived from abroad. This analysis was expanded to their respective South African born children and grandchildren.
Of the 9 Caney men recorded in the three generations, 5 have been recorded as active South African photographers between the period 1860s and 1915 - Some were clearly more visible as photographers or had more success compared...
