Early Photographic Studios in Wolverhampton

 

Edward Hill.  Mr and Mrs Hill

Mr and Mrs. Hill give the address "Darlington Street" and Edward Hill gives the address "41 Darlington Street".  I take it that they are members of the same family working from the same studio.  Unfortunately these photos cannot be dated, so establishing a sequence is not possible.  But Laws (see later) describes himself as "Successor to E. Hill").

Their studio contained what seems to have been a favourite prop of many photographers- a furry thing. These furry things look likely to eat the sitters.  The boy to the left seems blissfully unaware of the furry thing creeping up behind him. But the boy above right has got both hands and a foot on it, whilst the young lady on the right relies on two firm hands.

This young lady has a different chair and no furry thing and manages to look pensive and wistful, probably wondering if that hat was really a wise choice.

 

Hobart & Co

Hobart & Co give their address as Queen Street, Wolverhampton.  This is clearly a rather later photograph but its quite impressive, so what the hell.

Holmes and Morris

This firm was at 44 Queen Street. Note the "artistic" design on the back of the photo, showing signs of the aesthetic movement style.

This is another firm prepared to get out and take "architectural" photos.

Carl Holt

Carl Holt had his "Photographic Art Studios" on Snow Hill - and it seems to have been equipped with splendid furniture, suitable to impress the friends of well dressed gents like this. 

Again, many thanks to Carl Green for these scans.
This is clearly the same studio backdrop and table but the lady gets a bunch of flowers and a book as her props.  It is very rare for two poses of the same sitter to survive.  How many different shots did photographers usually offer from one session? 

Hudson & Co.  Sunderland and Hudson.   J. Sunderland.  F. Hudson & Co

The names and addresses given on these cards strongly suggested that these firms were connected in some way and clearly reflect a complex history. 

The best guess on present evidence is that F. Hudson started off with premises at 61 Darlington Street, then became Hudson & Co and acquired premises at the Great Western Arcade, Birmingham. Later they added branches in Dudley and then Walsall.

Then we find Hudson and Co ("late Sunderland & Hudson") at the Great Western Arcade and at 96 Darlington Street and at Walsall, Dudley and Coventry. 

Then we have a card of  J. Sunderland giving addresses in the Great Western Arcade, 53 Queen Street, Wolverhampton, and at Dudley, Leamington and Sheffield.

Goodness knows what all this means.

This may be the earliest manifestation of this firm.  The royal coat of arms is mere aspirational adornment.  Hudson offers copies "painted in oils of water colours", suggesting that he also clung to aspirations of being an artist.

The young lady's portrait has great, if naive, charm.  She has spared no effort with a three row string of pearls over a lace collar - but her left hand seems to be clutching a bunch of lettuce leaves.

Note that, like the Hills, at least one of their studios also had a furry thing. The young man, top right, has it firmly under control but the child, middle right, is about to be swallowed by it.

Despite being dressed up in stifling layers of clothing and propped on a chair like a rag doll, this child still declines to follow the Victorian custom and to wear a sober expression.  (By the way, the Victorians did not smile for the camera not, as if often said, because they had to sit still for so long.  By the time of these photos exposures were quite short.  But it was felt that smiling made you look like a grinning idiot.  Composure and dignity were the order of the day.  To us, they tend to look a bit pompous).
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