Joseph ALFRED, Photographer, Cardiff, 1910

[BlandTree]

My great-grandfather, Joseph ALFRED, had three photographer's shops in Cardiff in 1910 and I think that he continued to trade until at least the 1930s.  His shops were at:
15, St Mary Street,
22, Queen Stree Arcade, &
16, Working Street.
He traded variously as J Alfred & Son, and Joseph Alfred.
He lived, with his large family at 3, Guildford Crescent, Cardiff.

I would be grateful for any information about Joseph, his shops or any other relevant information.  This man had been a Hawker, an unemployed Carpenter and a Glassblower before he took up photography.  How he progressed from Hawker to Photographer in a decade fascinates me!

Regards

Malcolm Bland
North Yorkshire.

[cardiff]

Hi
You could contact Cardiff City Library. Cardiff  has started  a history of Cardiff with a museum of The CityCardiff in the near  future. The library may well help you. Its worth a try.
Look up cardiff City council and find the Library that way.
Hope this is of some help.
cheers cardiff

[saabina]

Hello,
I recently purchased a photograph for my collection of items relating to the town of Barry and Barry Island. The photo has an impressed mark on the bottom that reads J Alfred Broad street Barry. When I tried to find out more about the photographer I couldn't find anyone in Barry but I did find your relative via victorianphotographers.co.uk and this post. Do you know of he ever had any premises or connections with Barry? Any information you have would be well received.

Thanks Carys Jenkins

[L4UR41985]

Hi,

I appreciate this thread is some years old but recently I have come into possession of a photo album belonging to a Frederick James Pike from 1910 and quite a few of the photos have J Alfred, 16 Working Street, Cardiff printed on the back of them.

I myself am a Pike who grew up in the next street over to where Frederick lived at the time he created this album. I'm trying to track down any information about this family and I saw your thread and although its a very long shot was wondering if you had any records from your Great Grandfathers business with any connections with the name Pike perhaps as an employee?

Thanks

Laura :-)

[BlandTree]

Hi, Laura,

I have just returned to look at this thread and seen your post.  The reason that I have returned is because I was looking elsewhere for information about Joseph Alfred and this thread cropped up!  Joseph has a complicated history.  He was registered at birth as Joseph Allford, lived for many years as Joseph Bland and became Joseph Alfred shortly after 1900!  He was a carpenter, glassblower, hawker, riveter and, finally, a photographer. All this is carefully sourced and accurate.  It is even supported by recent DNA matches!

I have made no further discoveries but Joseph had many children and in the 1911 census four of them were working in Joseph's shop.  Of course, now that the 1921 census is available you would find where your ancestor worked, if still alive at 78 years old, but a quick glance shows only one Frederick Pike in Cardiff and he is only 1 year old.

If, by any chance you have scanned any of the photographs taken by my great grandfather and are willing to share them with me, I would be very grateful.  Cheeky, I know, but I thought that I would ask anyway!

Kind regards,

Malcolm [Bland]
blandtree at aol dot com