Alfred Louis TISCHBAUER was born 1853, in Paris, France. His parents were Alexandre TISCHBAUER and Marie Julie FAVAUD.


He trained as a scene painter and designer and worked at the Paris Opera, where he became involved in the Paris Commune of 1871, was sent to New Caledonia as punishment and from there went to Australia.* It is interesting to note that it was the discovery of the body of a Communard buried in the Paris Opera that inspired the tale of the Phantom of the Opera.**


TISCHBAUER was a painter of repute and associate of fellow Communard excile and artist, Lucien Felix HENRY. One of HENRY's sculptures includes a bust of TISCHBAUER.*


Alfred worked at East Sydney Technical College.* Two of his better known works are a watercolour drawing, Pyrmont Quarry Sydney and an oil painting, George Street, Sydney, 1883. Some of his other works include an oil on canvas, Flooding creek, Sale, Gippsland, a watercolour, Sale, Dec '95, oil on board, Stormy Coastline, and watercolours of boating scenes painted in 1905 in New York.


He married Harriet Vincent WATSON on 20 Jan 1897, at St Johns, Footscray, Melbourne. Harriet was also known as "John". Her father George Wade WATSON was an Archdeacon.


Alfred and Harriet left Sydney and arrived in San Francisco, California, on 9 Feb 1903. In 1910, they were living in Manhattan Ward 16, New York, New York.


On the back of a photo taken in New York in 1912, which was sent to his sister-in-law Alice Marriott EASTERBY (nee WATSON), he wrote, "From your old brother-in-law Tischi". His great nephew knew of him as "Uncle Louis".


Another photo of Harriet and Alfred TISCHBAUER, sent to Harriet's sister Alice and her husband, Harry Tinniswood EASTERBY, includes the following: "New York, 25th March 1912. To Alice and Harry from two New Yorkers fresh from the country. Remember that the idea of having our mugs taken together comes from your dear and beloved sister, John Harriet Vincent Watson TISCHBAUER in wedlock etc."


TISCHBAUER completed a signed and dated watercolour of a boating scene in 1918. He died 2 Feb 1922 in California. Harriet left San Francisco and arrived in Sydney on 5 Sep 1922. Harriet died 14 Jun 1925, in Ingleburn near Sydney, NSW, Australia.


*Reference: Dictionary of Australian Artists Online
**Reference: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia