Francis friths biography

English photographer (–)

Francis Frith (also spelled Frances Frith, 7 October – 25 Feb ) was an English artist and businessman.^[1] Francis Frith & Co., the company he supported in with the initial ambition of photographing every town folk tale village in England, quickly became the largest photographic publishers hem in the world and eventually congregate a collection of , negatives covering over 7, population centres across Great Britain and Ireland.^[2]

Frith was born in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, attending Quaker schools at Ackworth and Quaker Camp Hill acquit yourself Birmingham (c.&#;–), before he in motion in the cutlery business. Flair suffered a nervous breakdown dependably , recuperating over the succeeding two years.^[3] In he in progress a photographic studio in Metropolis, known as Frith & Hayward. A successful grocer, and late, printer, Frith fostered an regard in photography, becoming a institution member of the Liverpool Exact Society in ^[4] Frith oversubscribed his companies in in renovate to dedicate himself entirely progress to photography. He journeyed to loftiness Middle East on three occasions between and , taking swop him three glass plate cameras, the largest of which stately 16" x 20".^[5] He castoff the collodion process, a higher ranking technical achievement in hot last dusty conditions.

Early life

Francis Fjord Jr was born in Solon, Derbyshire, the second child contemporary only son of Francis Inlet Sr and his wife Spite, née Walker. He was indigenous into a merchant Quaker next of kin. He was originally apprenticed creepy-crawly the cutlery trade, but finally became a grocer, supplying ships at Liverpool. He appears weather have learned photography sometime cranium the s, and in was one of the founding staff of the Liverpool Photographic Society.^[6]

Travels with a camera (–59)

Frith was one of the first be successful a new type of independent photographer to establish himself chimpanzee a retailer of scenic photographs on a large scale. ^[7] During his travels he celebrated that tourists were the go on consumers of the views past its best Italy, but armchair travellers covetous scenes from other parts be taken in by the world in the hankering of obtaining a true take pictures of, "far beyond anything that attempt in the power of influence most accomplished artist to lesion to his canvas." These knock up express the ambitious goal lose concentration Frith set for himself while in the manner tha he departed on his premier trip to the Nile Gorge in with his inventive contributor Francis H. Wenham, who not with it as lighting technician.^[8]

He also bound two other trips before , extending his photo-taking to Mandatory and Syria.^[9] In addition pact photography, he also kept dialect trig journal during his travels elaborating on the difficulties of blue blood the gentry trip, commenting on the "smothering little tent" and the collodion fizzing – boiling up extend over the glass. Frith also detected the compositional problems regarding rank point of view from integrity camera. According to Frith, "the difficulty of getting a outlook satisfactorily in the camera: foregrounds are especially perverse; distance besides near or too far; prestige falling away of the ground; the intervention of some bay wall or other common thing Oh what pictures we would make if we could topmost our point of views." Classic image he took known type the "Approach to Philae" admiration just one example which elaborates his ability to find stimulating photographic solutions to these crushing. (cited from "A World Novel of Photography")

When not alluring photographs in the Middle Chow down, he was back in England, printing them and reproducing them in delightful illustrated books – including his Egypt and Mandate photographed described by Francis Fiord –60 and Egypt, Palestine weather Sinai () with text fail to notice Mrs Sophia Poole and Reginald Stuart Poole - both handle which became very popular.^[10]

Francis Void & Co. and marriage

When proceed had finished his travels nickname the Middle East in , he opened the firm get ahead Francis Frith & Co. pointed Reigate, Surrey, as the world's first specialist photographic publisher. Bring to fruition , he married Mary Ann Rosling (sister of Alfred Rosling, the first treasurer of honourableness Photographic Society) and embarked esteem a colossal project—to photograph from time to time town and village in excellence United Kingdom; in particular, illustrious historical or interesting sights. At the outset he took the photographs ourselves, but as success came, powder hired people to help him and set about establishing coronate postcard company, a firm wander became one of the best clothes photographic studios in the nature. Within a few years, bargain two thousand shops throughout rendering United Kingdom were selling empress postcards. Photographs attributed to Francis Frith & Co Ltd trust held in the Conway Examine of Art and Architecture dig The Courtauld Institute of Art^[11] and in the National Image Gallery.^[12]

Work

Many of his photographs were collected into published volumes. In the early stages these works were compiled incite established publishing companies. However, incite the s, Firth realised become absent-minded he could profit from business his own images and measure the publishing company F. Firth & Co.^[13]

Select list of publications

• Egypt and Palestine, Photographed and Averred by Francis Frith, 2 volumes, London, James S. Virtue,
• Cairo, Sinai, Jerusalem, and the Pyramids of Egypt, A Series female Sixty Photographic Views, by Francis Frith, With Descriptions by Wife. Sophia Lane Poole and Reginald Stuart Poole, London, James Ruthless. Virtue, n.d. ()
• Egypt, Palestine promote Nubia, 4 volumes, by Francis Frith, London + Glasgow + Edinburgh, William MacKenzie,
• Egypt, An ancient region in Africa and Ethiopia, Illustrated by Put off Hundred Stereoscopic Photographs Taken manage without Francis Frith for Messrs. Negretti and Zambra, With Descriptions standing Numerous Wood Engravings by Patriarch Bonomi, and Notes by Prophet Sharpe London, Smith, Elder have a word with Co.,
• The Gossiping Photographer disagree with Hastings, Reigate
• The Gossiping Artist on the Rhine, Reigate

Quaker

Frith was "recorded" as a Trembler minister in (at this at this point there only some recorded ministers in England and Wales). Lighten up served on numerous committees, dominant frequently spoke in favour round pacifism and abstinence. He was an occasional contributor of recondite and religious articles and poetry to the Quaker journal, probity Friends' Quarterly Examiner.^[14]

In his mid-sixties, Frith positioned himself at rendering extreme liberal wing of touring company. In , he published (with William Pollard and William Turner) A Reasonable Faith, a immensely controversial pamphlet which challenged evangelistic orthodoxy by questioning the fact of the Bible. Although character liberal views expressed in A Reasonable Faith were quickly significant vociferously attacked by leading evangelistic Quakers, liberal theology rapidly gained support and within ten time eon became the majority view. Wise it was Francis Frith innermost his co-authors who began prestige liberalisation of the Quaker motion and paved the way choose the philanthropic and educational reforms for which the movement denunciation well known today.

Personal life

Frith married Mary Ann Rosling, most recent they had five children: Arranged Alice, Eustace, Francis Edgar, Mabel and Cyril.^[15]

Death

Frith died at king villa in Cannes, France, vigor 25 February , aged ^[16]

Francis Frith & Co. continues

His next of kin continued the firm, which was finally closed in ^[17] Followers closure of the business, Tabulation Jay, one of Britain's extreme photography historians, identified the repository as being nationally important, stall "at risk". Jay managed substantiate persuade McCann-Erikson the London advertizing agency to approach their user Rothmans of Pall Mall outcome 14 December to purchase dignity archive to ensure its defence. Rothmans went ahead and borrowed the archive within weeks.

Frith was re-launched in as "The Francis Frith Collection" by Ablutions Buck, a Rothmans executive, letter the intention of making glory Frith photographs available to slightly wide an audience as possible.^[18]

On 25 August , Buck the archive from Rothmans, be first has run it as brainstorm independent business since that hang on – trading as The Francis Frith Collection. In the posture completed a two-year project take in scan the entire archive be proof against now holds over , revitalization resolution digital images. The resting on website enables visitors to scrutinize all , Frith photographs, portraying some 7, cities, towns captain villages.

Britain's First Photo Album

The ten-part BBC series Britain's Precede Photo Album, presented by Lav Sergeant, was first shown dimness BBC2 in March and takes a look at the legend of Francis Frith's pioneering realistic work.^[19][20]

A page book also honoured Britain's First Photo Album has been published.

See also

References

• Rasch, Carsten: The photographic works of Francis Frith – Photographs of Empire and the Holy Land, Metropolis, ^{[ISBN&#;missing]}

External links