Arthur Higgins

Arthur Embery Higgins (25 October 1891 – 22 September 1963) was a pioneering Australian cinematographer known for his use of trick photography during the silent era. His ongoing collaborations with director Raymond Longford include The Sentimental Bloke (1919) and The Blue Mountains Mystery (1921). He briefly turned to directing with Odds On (1928) however returned to cinematography in 1931 for the remainder of his career. Arthur Higgins was born in Glebe, Hobart, Tasmania in 1891. He was the youngest of three brothers, Ernest and Tasman. From a young age, Arthur was introduced to photography and projection by his eldest brother, Ernest. In 1900, Ernest rigged up a projector from his father's shop's balcony with a screen on a building across the street. Eventually Ernest's fascination with photography and cinema took him to Sydney where he found work at Cosens Spencer filming newsreels and travelogues. Although Arthur had begun a career in architecture, he chose to join Ernest in Sydney in 1908 to pursue a career in cinematography. From 1911, the brothers would work closely with director Raymond Longford. In 1912, Tasman also moved to Sydney to join his brothers.