POULSEN AND WHITE
Portrait of unidentified young women by Mads Poulsen
Mads Hansen Poulsen was the youngest of four Poulsen brothers who immigrated from Denmark in the late 19th century. All four became photographers.
One brother established a studio in Maryborough, another set up his business in Gympie, while the eldest brother, Poul (Paul), was a photographer in northern NSW before establishing a highly reputed studio in Brisbane's Queen Street.
Mads worked for his brother in Brisbane before marrying Agnes White, the daughter of prominent Brisbane resident, Silvanus White, in April 1900.
Poul had been exploring the potential of Warwick as a location for a studio and Mads established his own studio there within four months of his marriage.
Mads went into partnership with his brother-in-law, Silvanus Hill White, in 1908 and Poulsen and White continued to operate until 1949, making it one of the longest surviving photography businesses in Warwick.
The closure of the business was prompted by Mads's deteriorating health. He moved to Kelvin Grove in Brisbane in 1949 and, within a few months, Silvanus Hill White sold his interest in the business. Mads died in Brisbane in 1951 at the age of 82; Silvanus Hill White died in May 1967.
Aside from producing views for the local postcard market, Poulsen and White were responsible for many wedding photographs and many of the fine enlarged portraits of Warwick's residents.
Like many couples, Dulcie Fischer and Leonard Bradford were photographed
at Poulsen and White's Studio after their wedding on 8 January 1946
Part of the success of Poulsen and White was due to their skill at identifying opportunities to promote their business. The solar eclipse in 1922 was just one example.
