Stringer, Walter (1907 - 2001)

Stringer, Walter : Self-portrait of Walter Stringer, c. 1994

Research Materials | Other Resources

Walter Stringer, born in a suburb of Dublin, Ireland, saw his first dance performance in London in about 1919 - a triple bill by Serge Diaghilev's Ballet Russe. He and his family migrated to Australia shortly afterwards and settled in Melbourne.

Stringer took his first dance photographs in 1940 during performances by Colonel de Basil's Original Ballet Russe and those first shots, taken surreptitiously from the stalls, marked the beginning of a long association with dance. A bank clerk for his entire working life, Stringer frequented Melbourne dance studios and theatres, often dashing out of the bank in his lunch hour to take photographs. He rarely took posed shots preferring to capture the moment of performance. His collection of photographs documents over five decades of Australian dance and crosses most dance genres. It includes material relating to resident companies as well as visiting troupes.

For more about Walter Stringer and his dance photographs see 'Documenting Australian Dance: Walter Stringer's Dance Photography' in National Library of Australia News, February 2000.

See also: Ballets Russes Australian tours

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Research Materials

Oral history | Picture | All

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Other resources

Find more about Stringer, Walter in:

• Internet - Google
• Collection - OzLife
• Articles - New York Public Library Dance Collection
• Pictures - Picture Australia