What time is he from? Is this a Carte de Visite?

[Rachatfalcon]

Hi all,

Wonder if some kind, knowledgable soul might help with this...?

front:


back:


I have *no* idea who this man is, what time he is from or what he does. I think it is my mum's writing on the back (she passed away unfortunately so I can't ask her), it seems to say "C/D Clark".  My great-grandmother was Beatrice Ethel Clark, so the surname does fit but I am not sure who he is.  Beatrice's father was William Joseph Clark, born 1854. Any ideas if this could be him?

I have looked for clues such as information on the photographers or studio, and it seems (if I am right) that Henry Ward was the photographer but his studio was there until 1931 which seems way too late, changing hands to his son (also called Henry!) at some point...

The actual photo is about 2.5" x 3.5" which could make it a CDV?

All opinions would be welcome, thank you for looking.

Rachel x
P.S. Might have to post some more threads as I have other images I'm stuck on, hope thats ok :-)

[gstratton]

Thought i would clean it up a bit while you are waiting for some answers

Gareth

[Rachatfalcon]

Wow!

gstratton that is really lovely of you, it looks amazing. Thank you, genuinely.

Rachel x

[Emjaybee]

MJB

[avm228]

For what it's worth, Mr & Mrs Ward seem to have established their photographic business in 1851 (according to this card dated, apparently, 1874):

http://freepages.family.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~victorianphotographs/album2/wardb.jpg

[dootsie]

Henry Ward was a photographer from Deptford who movd to Croydon around1871 in 1881 he was living at a large house in Rolleston Road South Croydon. He retired to Caversham Berks around 1901 and his son Henry Ward took over and had a studio in Station Road West Croydon right through the1930's Henry died in Islington in 1912. I have photographs of the house in South Croydon which is still there. I was born just around the corner in Bynes Road (well after Henry Ward was there I might add!)

Dootsie

[dootsie]

Looking at the card again I see how fanciful they were! London, Rome, Florence and Paris! They came from dear old London Town! There was a similar tale on a Who Do You Think You Are some time back. A relation of the subject (can't remember his name) came over from Paris (ha ha ) and set up in Hastings with a lot of young ladie as models. I will go no further!

Dootsie

[dootsie]

It seems Henry was a somewhat 'flamboyant' character as he named several of his children with bizarre names! How about Omiga, Clematis, Paris and Cycle (yes Cycle) It also seems that there are some of the Cartes de Visites in a collection in the Victoria and Albert Museum

Dootsie

[dawn-in-nz]

I would have thought the 'C/D' was actually c/o or 'care of'. The 'Clark' looks more like 'Clerk' or 'Clenk' to me.