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The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders both past and present.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers are warned that this website contains images of deceased persons.

The Gallery’s Acknowledgement of Country, and information on culturally sensitive and restricted content and the use of historic language in the collection can be found here.

Dan (Sir Daniel Cooper)

1890s
Sir Leslie Ward, Hentschel-Colourtype (lithographer) and Vanity Fair Magazine (publisher)

from the series ‘Vanity Fair’
chromolithograph on paper (sheet: 37.5 cm x 23.3 cm)

Sir Daniel Cooper (1821–1902), merchant and philanthropist, came to Australia in 1843 and went into a mercantile business with his brother in law. He later took over the business, Cooper Bros, reputed to be ‘the most extensive mercantile house in the Australian colonies’. Cooper inherited further wealth and became a substantial landowner with properties around Sydney (including a £50,000 mansion at Point Piper) and stations in western New South Wales. He was a member of the first NSW Legislative Assembly in 1856 and was its first Speaker. He left Australia permanently for England in 1861.

Sir Leslie Ward, who signed his work ‘Spy’, was the most famous of the stable of caricaturists, including Sir Max Beerbohm and Carlo Pellegrini, who worked for the weekly English magazine Vanity Fair from 1869 to 1914. Ward drew nearly half of the 2387 caricatures published in Vanity Fair over the 45-year span of the magazine.

Gift of Ronald A Walker 2009. Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.

The National Portrait Gallery respects the artistic and intellectual property rights of others. Works of art from the collection are reproduced as per the Australian Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). The use of images of works from the collection may be restricted under the Act. Requests for a reproduction of a work of art can be made through a Reproduction request. For further information please contact NPG Copyright.
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The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders past and present. We respectfully advise that this site includes works by, images of, names of, voices of and references to deceased people.

This website comprises and contains copyrighted materials and works. Copyright in all materials and/or works comprising or contained within this website remains with the National Portrait Gallery and other copyright owners as specified.

The National Portrait Gallery respects the artistic and intellectual property rights of others. The use of images of works of art reproduced on this website and all other content may be restricted under the Australian Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). Requests for a reproduction of a work of art or other content can be made through a Reproduction request. For further information please contact NPG Copyright.

The National Portrait Gallery is an Australian Government Agency