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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Derbyshire => Topic started by: Brett on Tuesday 18 October 05 00:40 BST (UK)
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I would like to draw your attention to an online family history resource that I have been compiling for about three years. My site devoted to Derbyshire Photographers & Photographic Studios (http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~brett/photos/dbyphotos.html) is aimed at providing a comprehensive guide to the dating of family history photographs in Derbyshire.
It covers all studio photographers who worked in Derbyshire, but concentrates mainly on Victorian & Edwardian artists i.e. pre-WW1. I have put together an county-wide index to studio photographers, which may never be definitively complete but is now pretty comprehensive, with over 450 separate entries. I have also compiled a series of Photographers' Profiles; at present there are 114 of them, representing a quarter of all photographers who worked in Derbyshire. These profiles have a short biography of each photographer and one or more examples of his/her work. The latter would not have been possible without the contributions of images from over 90 different people and organizations, for which I am very grateful.
I am always looking for further images of studio photographs to add to the collection on the web site. If you have any old family photos from Derbyshire, please consider contributing scanned images of them to the collection, which will benefit greatly. I would be VERY grateful for any images, even if there are plenty of examples from that photographer already on the web site! Instructions on how to contribute photos may be found here (http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~brett/photos/dbyphoto_profiles.html#Contribute). Alternatively, please feel free to post a reply to this thread or contact me by email/pm.
In addition, if you have old Derbyshire family photos and would like them dated or have other queries, please feel free to send scanned images to me, and I'll do my best to provide some answers for you. It is usually possible to date old photos, with a fair degree of confidence, to within 3 or 4 years, and often even more accurately, particularly if the full mount and reverse of the photo are still visible.
(http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~brett/photos/studio.gif) (http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~brett/photos/dbyphotos.html)
Regards and best wishes,
Brett
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Brett
What a fantastic resource and offer. I will have a look through my photos to see if there are any of use to you. Most of mine are Nottm but there may be some Derbys.
Jane
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Thank you, Jane, for your kind words and your offer. I look forward to hearing from you in due course if you find any. :)
Regards and best wishes, Brett
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Hi Brett,
A great site! It will keep me busy for the school Holidays.
Flame
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great photo's and site
sylvia
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Hi Brett
You have a really interesting website and I intend to spend some time studying it in detail. :) I have a copy of a photograph of my greatgreatgrandmother (not the original unfortunately) which was taken by L.B. Hawkes, Flashlight Worker, Castleton, Derbyshire. I don't know what the difference is between a photographer and a flashlight worker - but would this give any indication as to the date of the photograph?
Best wishes, ayresa1
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Thank you sylvia & ayresa1, for your kid comments.
Ayresa1 - I haven't come across this term before in a Derbyshire context, but if you would care to scan the photo (even a scan of a copy is better than nowt) and either post it here in this thread or send it to me by email, I would be very happy to make some estimates as to the date it was taken. Please supply as much information about the subject as you can, including dates and places of birth, marriage and death. If you would permit me to include an image of the photo on my web site, that would be even better.
Regards and best wishes,
Brett
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After a break of almost a year, I've recently completed a major update of my website devoted to the Victorian & Edwardian Photographers and Photographic Studios of Derbyshire (http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~brett/photos/dbyphotos.html).
The site includes a comprehensive index of Derbyshire photographers and studios from the 1850s right through to the First World War, as well as profiles of and portfolios of some 130 of these several hundred photographers. The index and profiles have been designed for the use of family historians in dating their own old family photos, and I'm always happy to help out with estimating dates or assessing old photos if I am able. As always, contributions of images of photos are very welcome, whether they are by photographers already featured on the site, or by new artists, and will be fully acknowledged.
The update includes additional photos and information or completely new profiles for the following photographers:
F. & W.H. Barber of Sheffield & Matlock Bank
J.W. & Ernest Battey of Hadfield
Frederick Barber of Sheffield & Matlock Bath
James Beaumont of Derby
B.W. Bentley of Buxton
E. Bolton of Derby
F.J. Boyes of Derby
James Brennen of Derby
Britannia's Electric Portraits Ltd. of Chesterfield
R. & R. Bull of Ashbourne
J.H. Bunting of Glossop
John Burton & Sons of Leicester & Derby
William Davies of Ripley
Frank Day of Heanor & Derby
C.F. Dereské of Derby
Alfred T. Dillon of Chesterfield etc.
G.H. Eustace of Derby
Joshua Evans of Bradwell
Gertrude Fletcher of Ripley & Nottingham
Thomas Frost of Derby
G. Gibson & Sons of Derby & Nottingham
H.P. Hansen of Ashbourne
J.L. Hart of Ashbourne
Albert Heath of Clay Cross
Henry Hinge of Ashbourne
F. Holmes of Clay Cross
Richard Keene & Sons of Derby & Burton-upon-Trent
C.W. Lee of Eckington
E.R. Leonhardt of Eckington
William Leuchars of Chesterfield
H.J. Morgan's Studio of Chesterfield
William B. Pearson of Derby
Pollard Graham of Derby
J.W. Price of Derby & Ashby-de-la-Zouch
M. Reissert of Derby
John Roberts of Derby
Clement Rogers of Derby
Sankey Bros. of Eckington
J. Schmidt of Belper
A. Seaman & Sons of Chesterfield etc.
Herbert Sharpe & Sharpe Bros. of Ilkeston
W.N. Statham of Matlock Bath
T. Steward & Co. of Buxton
W.E. Swift of Derby
A. & G. Taylor of Derby
E.M. Treble of Derby
Valette Studios of Long Eaton
R. Wallis of Chesterfield
H.J. Watson of Derby
John T. Whitham of Glossop
W.W. Winter of Derby
I would like to publicly acknowledge the huge number of contributions that I have received, both from list members and from visitors to the site, which have made these profiles possible.
If there's anyone that I have left off this list, or anyone who has sent images that don't yet appear on the site, please don't hesitate to let me know, and I'll remedy the inadvertent ommission as soon as I can, hopefully within a few days.
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Regards and best wishes,
Brett Payne
Tauranga, New Zealand
Derbyshire Photographers & Photographic Studios
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~brett/photos/dbyphotos.html
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Another six months, and I've just completed an huge update of my web site devoted to Derbyshire Photographers & Photographic Studios (http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~brett/photos/dbyphotos.html). There are additional photos and information, or completely new profiles for the following studios:
Herbert Batteson of Chesterfield
B.W. Bentley of Buxton
William Bentley of Buxton
E. Bolton of Derby
Erasmus F. Bostock of Derby & Nottingham
George H.E. Bower of Derby
Frederick J. Boyes of Derby
James Brennen of Derby
Harold Burkinshaw of Belper
John Burton & Sons of Derby & Leicester
J. Clayton of Staveley
Charles Carr of Derby
George H. Chell of Belper
Frank Day of Heanor & Derby
George Fenton of New Whittington
G. Gibson & Sons of Derby & Nottingham
Pollard Graham of Burton-on-Trent & Derby
Edward R. Gyde of Aberystwyth & Derby
Arthur H.J. Hall of Swadlincote
George Holdsworth of Glossop
George J. Jackson of Belper
Richard Keene of Derby
E.R. Leonhardt of Eckington, Nottingham & Leicester
William Leuchars of Chesterfield
John Mayle & Sons of Derby
New Studios Ltd. of Chesterfield
R.K. Peacock of Derby
William Pearson of Derby
J.N. Perks of Woodville & Swadlincote
Augustine Porri of Nottingham & Sandiacre
J.W. Price of Derby, John Roberts of Derby
Percy Rowbottom of Matlock Bath
George V. Sankey of Church Gresley
Jacob Schmidt of Belper
John Simnett of Burton-on-Trent
W.N. Statham of Matlock Bridge
Charles S. Swift of Derby
George H. Swift of Chapel-en-le-Frith
William E. Swift of Derby
A. & G. Taylor of Derby
Valray Ltd. of Chesterfield
Samuel Whiting of Chesterfield
Paul Turner of Chesterfield
George & James Watterson of Wirksworth
J.T. Whitham of Glossop
W.W. Winter of Derby
Herbert Worgan of Derby.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the following people who have contributed images or information to the most recent series of updates - their generosity is what makes the project work so well, and I'm very grateful:
John Peacock, Stacy Taylor, Jane Steer, John Palmer, Robin Boyce, Tony Hall, Fran Powles, June Knowles, Robin Bishop, Lynne Tedder, Eileen Beech, Kevin Rhodes, Leonie Cousin, "Alex", Cynthia Maddock, Charlie Bentley, Mandy Whitham, Terry Smith, Richard Leveson, Beatrice Potter, Claire Casey, Bill Horne, Michael Greatorex, Liz Newbery, Liz Sparkes.
I always welcome further additions to the collection, so if you have any old family photographs taken by Derbyshire studios, and would like to contribute images of them, please get in touch with me. Details for scanning and sending images may be found here (http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~brett/photos/dbyphoto_profiles.html#Contribute).
Regards and best wishes,
Brett Payne
Tauranga, New Zealand
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Hi Brett
A fab site. I notice that you have mentioned some photographers that had studios in Nottingham. I answered to your initial request and said I would look at my photos to see if they were Derbys studios. My relatives lived in Long Eaton, just in Derbyshire but all the portraits were taken in Nottingham studios.
So sorry I cannot help more.
Jane
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Thank you very much for your kind comments, Jane. Several Nottingham photographers also had studios, or at least branches, in Derby and other towns, although some may only have operated for a short duration. I hope to expand the site to include Nottingham studios in due course, so keep watching.
Regards and best wishes, Brett
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Hi Brett
If you want scan of photos or any help for Nottm just contact me.
Jane
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Thank you, Jane, for your offer of scans and/or help, which is much appreciated. I have access to census, but other material which relates to the biographical sketches of photographers may come in useful in due course. For example, I use the Historical Directories web site, to follow the studios, but sometimes there are significant gaps in the directories available online. I'll keep you in mind.
Regards and best wishes, Brett
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:)
Hi Brett!
Found your website fascinating as most of my early family photos were taken by photographers in the Chesterfield area. I may have missed this when looking through but I have a photo from 'The Chesterfield Studio Co', 25 Burlington Street, Chesterfield. It is certainly Edwardian or late Victorian. I also have examples from Heath at Clay Cross and Seaman and Sons, Chesterfield. Any use?
Jane
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Dear Jane,
Yes, please! The more the merrier. I welcome any contributions, as even if I already have several examples from a particular photographer, expanding the portfolio will only serve to make the collection more useful to others when dating their own photographs by those photographers. I think that the index is fairly comprehensive, as I've been compiling it for about six years now. Having said that, I might add that I still receive contributions from viewers of photos from studios that are new to me, on a fairly regular basis - about four new ones in the last month alone!
I try to provide estimates of dates for you as well, using whatever resources I have available, but can't guarantee too much precision, as I'm no expert, I'm afraid. You will find full details of how to scan the photographs for contributing here (http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~brett/photos/dbyphoto_profiles.html#Contribute), and use the "Brett Payne" link from the web site to email them to me.
Regards and best wishes, Brett
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::)
Ok, I'll try my best as I am in the technologically challenged group when it comes to sending photos.
I do have two very early ones from the Heath studios which must have been taken about 1880 of my great-great grandparents. It only has the studio name on the fromt and nothing on the reverse. She looks a right old battleaxe and would be good for use in an advert about the perils of not using a good moisturiser! I'll definitely try to get you that one!!
Jane ;D
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Thank you, Jane. I look forward to hearing from you. Regards, Brett
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Another major update to my index and profiles of Derbyshire Photographers & Photographic Studios (http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~brett/photos/dbyphotos.html) is now complete.
The index and profiles have been compiled mainly as an aid to family historians wanting to date their own old family photos. I welcome contributions of images to add to the profiles and, as always, will be happy to provide date estimates where I am able. Please feel free to contact me by email - guidelines for contributing images are provided here (http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~brett/photos/dbyphoto_profiles.html#Contribute).
With the latest update, you will find new profiles, additional photos and information for the following studios:
B.W. Bentley of Buxton
Frank Birch of Derby
E. Bolton of Derby
Abraham Booth of Belper & Ripley
Erasmus F. Bostock of Derby & Nottingham
Frederick J. Boyes of Derby
James Brennen of Derby
Britannia's Electric Portraits Ltd. of Chesterfield & Ilkeston
R. & R. Bull of Ashbourne
Harold Burkinshaw of Belper
John Burton & Sons of Leicester & Derby
William Caloe of Eckington (John Caloe & Sons)
Carlton Studio of Derby
William Davies of Ripley
Derby Stereoscopic Co. of Derby
Charles F. Dereské of Derby
Alfred T. Dillon of Chesterfield
George Edgar of Chesterfield & Ashbourne
G. Gibson & Sons of Derby & Nottingham
William Godber of Matlock Bath & Derby
Pollard Graham of Derby
E.R. Gyde of Aberystwyth & Derby
William Housley of Bakewell
George J. Jackson of Belper
D.S. Jones of Matlock Bath
Richard Keene of Derby
D.C. Latham of Buxton
William Leuchars of Chesterfield
Norman McAuslan of Belper
Harold E. Pearse of Derby
Joseph N. Perks of Swadlincote
J.W. Price (Price & Galvin) of Derby
George Renwick of Burton-on-Trent
William Rodbourn of Newhall
Jacob Schmidt of Belper
A. Seaman & Sons of Chesterfield
W.N. Statham & Sons of Matlock Bridge
J. Alfred Stevens of Derby
John Stringfellow of Chesterfield
C.S. Swift of Derby
W.E. Swift of Derby
A. & G. Taylor of Derby
Louis B. Twells of Ashbourne
Charles Warwick of Derby
W.W. Winter of Derby.
As usual, I am enormously indebted and grateful to a large number of contributors, without whom my task would be a great deal harder and the web site far less comprehensive. Many thanks to Jo Bevan, Ben Hodgkiss, Claire Casey, Terry Corner, Stephanie Hitchcock, Roberta Carlson, Peter Dillon, Ceredigion Archives & Culturenet Cymru, David Rowlands, Chris Greaves, Ron Cosens, Roy Benford, Jane Porter, Ken Williams, David Lamb, Gail Archer, Helen Frost, Di Bakel, Prue McKay and Graham Pare.
Regards and best wishes,
Brett Payne
Tauranga, New Zealand
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I've recently completed some major update of my web site devoted to Derbyshire Photographers & Studios (http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~brett/photos/dbyphotos.html).
After roughly six years, the index now includes approximately 477 different photographers and studios, while detailed profiles and portfolios of over a third of them (171 photographers) have been compiled. Information and images have been received from 163 separate contributors, in every corner of the world, to whom I am very grateful. The site receives an average of between 20 and 40 visitors a day, and I'm hopeful that a fair proportion have found the site interesting or useful in some way. Visitors to the site come from 35 different countries all over the world, but the bulk are from United Kingdom, United States, Australia, Canada and New Zealand.
Included in the updates are additional photos and information or new profiles for:
Frederick Barber of Sheffield & Matlock
Herbert Batteson of Chesterfield
Ernest Battey of Glossop & Hadfield
Frederick J. Boyes of Derby
James Brennen of Derby
R. & R. Bull of Ashbourne
Howard Burkinshaw of Belper
John Burton & Sons of Derby
John Caloe & Sons of Sheffield
Carr, Gilbert & Co. of Derby
George H. Chell of Belper
Chesterfield Studios of Chesterfield
John Clark of Matlock Bath
William Davies of Ripley
Diana Studios of Derby
Edwin J. & Joseph C. Evans of Youlgreave
Thomas Frost of Derby
Pollard Graham of Derby
H.I. Hawkes of Derby
John Hobbiss (Senior) & John J. Hobbiss (Junior) of Buxton
Frederick Holbrook of Belper
Charles Hooley of Derby
Jerome Limited of Derby
Richard Keene of Derby
William Leuchars of Chesterfield
Norman J. McAuslan of Belper
Morgan's Studio of Chesterfield
Frank N. & Randolph C. Nield of Ripley & Bakewell
Augustine Porri of Nottingham & Sandiacre
J.W. Price of Derby
Clement Rogers of Derby
Jacob Schmidt of Belper
Alfred Seaman & Sons of Chesterfield
"Professor" Frank Simpson of Ashbourne
Edward Smith of Derby
George Statham of Derby
W.N. Statham of Matlock Bridge
J. Alfred & K.F. Stevens of Derby
T. Steward & Co. of Buxton
W.E. Swift of Derby
Thomas Sykes of Derby
A. & G. Taylor of Derby
Paul Turner of Chesterfield
J.S. Walker of Chesterfield
Ward's Studio of Derby
John Hy. Waterhouse of Chesterfield
Harry J. Watson of Derby
James Watterson of Wirksworth
J.W. Wayne of Belper
John Westmoreland of Derby
G. White (daguerreotypist) of Chesterfield
W.W. Winter of Derby
The profile and portfolio for photographer W.W. Winter (http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~brett/photos/eng/dby/wwwinter.html) has undergone a complete revamp, and due to its size I've had to split it into two separate pages. About 40 different card types have now been identified, which enable dating of practically any WW Winter photo accurately down to within two or three years.
As usual, I am indebted to many people for contributions, in the form of both information and images, and would like to express my appreciation to them: (in no particular order) Robert Silverwood, Marilyn McMillan, Adrian Farmer, Lies Ligthart, Virginia Silvester, John Bradley, Graham Fulford, Michael Patterson, Herbert Brooks, John Palmer, Cynthia Maddock, Julia Sturgis, Bunnie Ellison, Emma Sullivan, Bronwyn & Graeme Gilmour, Barrie Thompson, Michael Handley, Nigel Aspdin, James Morley, Rob Jennings, Kevin Rhodes, John Powell, Cliff Prince, Roy Sims and Fiona Wilson.
I am particularly grateful to:
- Max Craven for alerting me, some years ago, to the existence of a collection of portrait photos in the Derby Local Studies Library,
- Jane James for facilitating my examination of these photos during my visit to Derby in October last year
- Trish Kenny, the chief archivist of that institution, who kindly gave me permission to scan a selection of those photographs for use on this site, and
- staff members Mark Bowyer and Fiona Nevin, who made the process very simple and easy for me.
If you have any old portrait photographs taken by Derbyshire studios that you would like to share, please consider sending me scans for inclusion on the web site. I'm always looking for contributions. Email me for details, or visit the section entitled "Contributions" on my web site.
Regards and best wishes,
Brett Payne
Tauranga, New Zealand
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Hi Brett, Just found that you have added the photograph of my Grandfather Dominick Murphy by Charles Bradshaw to your Derbyshire Photographers profiles. I wonder if it is possible to ammend the notes attached to it, I may have sent you wrong info or misstyped it. Dominic and Sarah had six children not four, and also the church they married in was St Marys not St Mays. Keep up the good work chuck, cheers Kath Tarbatt
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Dear Kath,
I will certainly correct what are probably just typos on my part. Thanks for pointing them out.
Regards and best wishes, Brett