British Photography Introduction
This section consists of an annotated bibliography and transcription of articles published in British photographic journals, newspapers and legal gazettes focusing on the 1850s to the 1870s. The material covers reviews, exhibitions, meetings, expeditions, legal actions, and advertisements. Indexes provide easy access, but word searches also work. There are four indexes which currently provide access points to relevant data, plus three more which are still being populated.
This is a massive, daunting undertaking to be sure. Documentation will be added regularly so it is worth checking back from time to time. Most of the relevant articles from the 1850s have been covered with the exception of the London Times which is wonderfully informative. I am currently working on adding that material. There is currently less material from the 1860s and 1870s as I am progressing chronologically through the publications. On the other hand, the London Gazette has been as thoroughly researched from the 1840s-1870s as their search engines allowed. This provides a wealth of legal information (patents, partnerships, bankruptcies, etc.) about photographers.
This information is provided FREE OF CHARGE, but please be mindful and credit my work. And please do not copy entire sections and publish as your own.
HOW TO SEARCH:
I have provided a selection of indexes with which to access the data. Unfortunately it is
not possible to search the entire British Photography division with one search as this is a flat file website and search engines are for databases.
There are, however, two search options:
--To get an overview of what was going on photographically, simply read through the
annotated bibliographies, transcripts, special lists etc., which are arranged by year.
--For focused search such as finding references to specific photographers:
1. Go to the MASTER INDEX: PHOTOGRAPHERS. [Other indexes will be
added later.]
2. Then do a WORD SEARCH (Ctrl+F or Cmd+F on Mac) to find a name.
3. Under each name are DATES, e.g.: “BEDFORD, Francis (1816-1894)…1853”
4. Select a date and go to the ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY, or
TRANSCRIPTION, or one of the special INDEXES for that year. You will find
the relevant material in at least one of these locations, but not necessarily all.
5. Then do another WORD SEARCH to find the material.
Below is a summary of the three major divisions:
INDEXES: A selection of indexes are provided as follows:
--ASTRONOMICAL PHOTOGRAPHY.
This contains bibliographic references to articles referencing photography used in conjunction with astronomy. It is arranged by date.
--EXHIBITIONS. Currently under construction
It will contain references to photographic exhibitions.
--REVIEWS OF PHOTOGRAPHS:
This section summarizes articles reviewing stereographs (and occasionally other formats). It is arranged chronologically, then alphabetically by photographer’s name, and thereunder specific images are listed if noted.
Many of these reviews have been fully transcribed and can be found in the transcription section. These are marked “transcribed” in the bibliographic reference.
--GEOGRAPHIC LOCATIONS. Currently under construction.
It will contain references to specific photographic locations and will be arranged in a hierarchical format starting with continents, then countries or regions, cities, and so forth.
--PHOTOGRAPHERS, PHOTOGRAPHIC COMPANIES, etc.
This is the most immediately useful section. It lists photographers, photographic companies, or any names associated with the profession that appeared in the journals and the London Gazette.
The list is alphabetical. Under each entry are dates in which the names appeared in publications. TO LOCATE THE REFERENCE, go to either the bibliography, the transcription, or one of the special indexes for the date listed, and do a word search (Ctrl+F or Cmd+F on Mac) to find the entry.
In many cases I have been able to provide life dates using various resources including PhotoLondon A-Z, Ancestry.com, Johnson’s “Nineteenth-Century Photography: An Annotated Bibliography 1839-1879”, Roger Taylor’s “Photographs Exhibited in Britain 1839-1865”, John Hannavy’s Encyclopedia of Nineteenth-century Photography”, and various on-line web resources. Links for the most important ones can be found in the “LINKS” section.
Occasionally interesting biographical tidbits have emerged from my ancestry.com researches combined with “London Gazette” legal notices. Unable to resist I have included summary information under the relevant photographer’s entry.
--SUBJECT. Under construction.
--TRAVEL, FIELD and EXPEDITION PHOTOGRAPHY.
This section contains references to articles describing first-hand accounts
of photography in the field. Technical articles on outdoor photography and
inventions have largely been ignored.
The references are arranged alphabetically by journal title and thereunder
by year. In many cases further information can be found in the bibliography or
transcription sections under the relevant year.
THE INDEXES ARE FOLLOWED BY TWO MAJOR SECTIONS OF DATA:
As it was impossible to transcribe all relevant journal stories, I summarized the data in highly annotated bibliographic references. These are arranged by year, thereunder by publication, and then chronologically. Each entry contains references to all relevant names, titles of photographs, etc. and/or summaries. A bibliographic reference with a “T” at the head of the listing indicates that (with the exception of the London Gazette), a full transcription is also available. Further information on standards, etc. appear at the beginning of each yearly entry.
These are full transcriptions of published items. They are arranged alphabetically by journal title, then chronologically and finally by page number. Further information on standards, etc. appear at the beginning of each yearly entry.