Jonathan Adlington (1839-1884), Music teacher of Derby & Aberdeen

In the 1860s, after the carte de visite format was introduced, the colourisation of photographs became a little easier, and one would hope that the photographic studios would have taken heed of the "less is more" mantra. By the looks of many of these early portraits on albumen-based paper prints it may appear that the lesson was not well appreciated. However, a criticism of these early practitioners may be a little hasty, because the effect that we see now may not be that which was intended. Indeed the appearance may differ radically from how it appeared originally, either due to significant fading of the sepia-toned photographic emulsion or to changes in the original water colour dyes used, both of which effectively enhance the appearance of the added colours.


Jonathan Adlington of Derby, July 1863
Hand coloured carte de visite portrait by J. Brennen, Derby
Image © and courtesy of Derby Local Studies Library
This carte de visite portrait of young Derby music teacher Jonathan Adlington (1839-1884) by James Brennen, held by the Derby Local Studies Library (by whom permission has been kindly given for reproduction), is typical of early paper prints mounted on card and hand coloured in either water colours or oils. I think this one has been done in water colours (apart from the gold), which look pretty garish now, but the appearance is likely to be different from that originally intended. The young man is bearded, dressed in a frock coat with the top button done up, as was the fashion, dark waistcoat and light coloured peg-top trousers. He is wearing a bright blue tie with gold tie pin, a gold watch chain, and carries a light walking cane and pale blue, soft, low-crowned hat, perhaps something akin to a deerstalker without the ear flaps.



The reverse has the sitter's name "Jno Adlington" and a date "July 1863" inscribed in pencil, in what appears to be a roughly contemporary hand. Several other Brennen portraits in the DLSL collection have inscription in a similar hand, possibly written by Brennen himself. I suspect they were speculative portraits of local celebrities produced to cash in on the carte de visite craze which swept the country in the early 1860s.


Choir at Southwell Minster, Nottinghamshire
Image © 2008 Martin Beek and courtesy of Flickr
Jonathan Adlington was born in 1839 into the musically talented family of Southwell (Nottinghamshire) tailor William Adlington and his wife Keturah Pope. His father was for some years a member of the choir at Southwell Minster under the tutelage of rector chori Edward Heathcote.


Advertisement, The Derby Mercury, 19 December 1849
Image courtesy of Gale CENGAGE Learning
They moved to Derby in the late 1840s, probably shortly after the death of William's father Jonathan Adlington at Southwell on 2 June 1849. An advertisement which appeared in The Derby Mercury seeking an apprentice was a clear sign that the Adlington children were not destined to follow their father into the rag trade. The census of 30 March 1851 shows all three of the Adlington children - William (14), Jonathan (11) and Sarah Ann (10) - as music scholars, and it occurred to me that their move to Derby may have been motivated partly for musical reasons, for example to be close to a respected music teacher.


St Peter's Church, Derby, c.1880s
Lithograph published by W.W. Winter
Image © and collection of Brett Payne
Whatever the reasons for the move, it seems to have paid off. In January 1850 Master Adlington - probably Jonathan's older brother William, then twelve years old- was reported in the Mercury as "one of the youthful band of choristers belonging to [St Peter's Church Sunday School], presiding at the pianoforte, with great ability," during a church function in the large dining room of the King's Head Inn in the Cornmarket, a popular meeting place for both cultural groups and philosophical clubs.


Church of St Paul's, Chester Green, Derby
Image © 2010 Russ Hamer and courtesy of Panoramio
William junior became something of a local sensation, with regular performances in Derby, such as at the opening and consecration of the new church of St Paul's at New Chester (now Chester Green), near Derby in May that year. The Adlingtons appear to have been at the centre of a a minor renaissance of the music scene in Derby. The St Peter's Madrigal Society "gave the second performance to their subscribers and friends" in September 1850, at which "Master W. Adlington presided at the pianoforte, accompanying the glees, songs, &c., in a very efficient style."


The Athenaeum (at left), Royal Hotel & Post Office, Victoria Street/Cornmarket, Derby, c.1850s
Image © and courtesy of Nigel Aspdin
At a Christmas concert held in the Athaenaeum that same year, "Master Adlington was also encored in the song, 'Why do summer roses fade,' which he sang with considerable effect, accompanying himself on the pianoforte ... A fantasia on the piano by Master Adlington was remarkable for its brilliancy of execution."

William Adlington senior had become the choir master at St Peter's, and no doubt played a significant role in the training and advancement of his son, although by then it appears that he was shortly to study under John Cramer of Loughborough.


Lecture Hall, Mechanics’ Institution, Derby, 1839
Hand Coloured Lithograph Print, from a drawing by Samuel Rayner
Image © and courtesy of Derby Museum & Art Gallery
Numerous concerts were held throughout 1851, culminating in a "Grand Miscellaneous Concert" at the Lecture Hall, Derby:

Master W. Adlington's performance of Hummel's Rondo Brilliant, in A, opera 59, on the piano forte, was played with a spirit, taste, and cleverness which would have done credit to any player. This youth is only fourteen years of age, and from the abilities displayed in the performance of this piece, there could be but one opinion, that in all probability he is likely to become a first class performer. The subject, although long, was executed by Master Adlington in a manner which was appreciated in a high degree by his patrons, as was shown by the warmth and unanimity of their applause.

Jonathan Adlington received instruction under William Wolfgang Woodward (1821-1882), professor of music in Derby, and conductor of the Derby Choral Society, and by September 1856 had become the organist at St Peter's Church, aged only 17. That year a new vehicle for the promotion of music in the town was formed, the Derby Vocal Union, under the direction of William Adlington, and with Jonathan "presiding at the pianoforte." Unfortunately, at their inaugural concert Jonathan was taken ill, and his place had to be taken by his older brother.


Advertisement, The Derby Mercury, 5 November 1856
Image courtesy of Gale CENGAGE Learning
At this stage William Adlington senior must have grown confident enough in both his abilities and in the local demand, since he appears to have become a music teacher. His first advertisement offering vocal elementary instruction appeared in the Derby Mercury on 5 November 1856. White's trade directory for 1857 shows him still working as a draper, but by the census of 7 April 1861 he described himself only as a "professor of music, singing."

Jonathan, then 21 and still living at home, was a "professor of music, organ & pianoforte," having announced 18 months earlier "his intention of commencing a popular elementary class for singing, at the Mechanics' Institution. As a teacher of singing, Mr. Adlington is as widely known as he is highly appreciated, and possesses not only the talent required to conduct such a desirable instruction, but also aptitude and the peculiar advantages of temper and judgement." (The Derby Mercury, 14 September 1859)


Readers will perhaps not be surprised to learn that the Adlington residence in the late 1850s and early 1860s was at 14 Wilmot Street, immediately next door to the premises which studio photographer James Brennen occupied at number 12 from around 1860 until c.1865. Sadly, these buildings no longer exist, much of Wilmot Road having disappeared to make way for the new A601 ring road. Jonathan's older brother William had the previous year "received the degree of associate of the Royal Academy of Music," while Jonathan himself was widening his repertoire, with the direction of a concert for the Trinity Church Working Mens Association and instructing music to the Diocesan Institution for Training Schoolmistresses. He had also become a member of The Derbyshire Provincial Grand Lodge of Freemasons, and of The Derwent Rowing Club - clearly a young, but up and coming, man-about-town.


St Andrew's Cathedral, Aberdeen
© 2007 Colin Smith and courtesy of Geograph.co.uk
Licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence
In the early 1860s William Adlington junior had taken up an appointment as a music teacher in Aberdeen, and by August 1866 Jonathan too had moved to Aberdeen. Apart from having a large private practice offering singing, organ and pianoforte lessons, he was organist at St Andrew's Cathedral, became music master to the Normal College and pianoforte teacher at the Aberdeen Church of Scotland Training College, and was appointed Director of Music to the of the Provincial Grand Lodge at the Aberdeen Masonic Hall. He was "organist of the Choral Union under Mr Latter for a period ... frequently play[ing] at the Saturday evening entertainments," and was also a composer, publishing several songs and duets.

In late June 1877, however, he resigned his numerous positions and moved to Edinburgh where he took over an "influential" teaching practice recently vacated by his older brother William. Their parents had moved to Aberdeen in the early 1870s, perhaps after the marriage if their younger sister Sarah Ann to Alexander Gowan Gillespie at Edinburgh in July 1873, and then to Edinburgh in the early 1880s.

John Adlington, as he appears to have been known after his move to Scotland, died at his father's home in Edinburgh on 10 March 1884, at the relatively young age of 44. An obituary in the Aberdeen Journal included the following:

Mr Adlington had the winning faculty of endearing himself to his friends, and, modest of his accomplishments, he always carried his honours in such a way as to merit the esteem of those with whom he came in contact. In his professional life he well maintained the musical reputation of his family. Many in Aberdeen will grieve to hear of the early death of one who gave so much promise as a musician, and will sympathise with the relatives in the loss they have sustained ...

References

19th Century British Library Newspapers, courtesy of Gale CENGAGE Learning
The Aberdeen Weekly Journal
The Caledonian Mercury
The Derby Mercury
The Nottinghamshire Guardian & Midland Advertiser

1841-1911 UK Census Collection, The National Archives of the UK, courtesy of Ancestry

International Genealogical Index (IGI), from FamilySearch

Descendants of John Jaffray

White, Francis (1857) History, Gazetteer and Directory of the Country of Derby, Francis White & Co., Derby, transcript courtesy of Neil Wilson

Cartes de Visite as Celebrity Portraits

Earlier this week I posted a portrait of Derby clergyman Roseingrave Macklin, taken at the studio of James Brennen in 1862. This carte de visite was from a family photograph album belonginging to fellow photo-sleuth Nigel Aspdin, but Reverend Macklin was not, as far as Nigel is aware, even a distant relative. So what, one might ask, is his portrait doing in an album which probably belonged to Nigel's great-grandmother Mary Ann Aspdin née Dyche (c1833-1913)?


A clue to answering this question lies in the collection of carte de visite and cabinet portraits held by the Derby Local Studies Library. In October 2007 I was kindly permitted to scan a selection of these for reproduction on my Derbyshire Photographers web site. One of those that I scanned is an almost exact copy of Nigel's portrait by Brennen and, in fact, is how I was able to identify the subject, since it is annotated on the reverse. Dated 1862, it was probably taken shortly before Macklin's retirement due to ill health early in 1863.


Macklin appears to have visited another Derby studio - that of E.N. Charles - probably in late 1863, not long after his retirement. Instead of being attired in his clercial vestments, he is pictured leaning on a pedestal, perhaps admiring the large campana-shaped vase, in the style produced by the Royal Crown Derby China Works in the late 18th and early 19th Centuries.


Although by far the majority of the portraits in Nigel's album are unidentified, it is clear that there are more subjects who are not family members. For example, two later portraits depict men wearing what appear to be mayoral chains, and there is at least one other clergyman. Nigel suspects that a good proportion of the photographs are of acquaintances of the album's presumed owner Mary Ann Aspdin or her husband Richard Wilkinson Aspdin (1822-1885).


Carte de visite portrait of Napoleon III
by Disdéri
The carte de visite was not simply a standard card size. In 1854, Paris daguerreotypist André Adolphe Disdéri patented a method by which four, six, or even eight photographs could be exposed on a single glass plate, making the process of printing a great deal easier, and therefore cheaper. The popularised card mount size of 2½ x 4 inches was roughly the same as a visiting card, hence the name. A story of Emperor Napoleon III stopping at Disderi's studio to have his portrait taken en route to fight the Austrians in May 1859 is probably apocryphal, but it was around that time that the format started to become much more popular.


Morning Post (London, England), 7 March 1860
Although often referred to only in fairly general terms in the photohistory texts that I have read, I get the impression that the establishment of the carte de visite as a standard photographic portrait for the ordinary person happened slightly after cdv portraits of well known people had become collectable items. From advertisements placed in newspapers, it is clear that English studios began offering portraits in the carte de visite format at least as early as March 1860, when Mayer Brothers of Regent Street, London referred to it as "this new style."


Morning Post (London, England), 11 August 1860
The craze for carte de visites, both as collectibles and as a cheap method of portraiture, was given a substantial boost by royal patronage, Queen Victoria herself owning dozens of albums. Clearly those who would consider purchasing a hundred copies of a portrait of themselves, must have been expecting some considerable demand for said likenesses amongst their acquaintances.


The Derby Mercury, 16 July 1862
Although The Derby Mercury newspaper reveals no advertisements for cartes de visite as early as these, it is clear from several dated examples that Derby was not long behind the larger centres in adopting the new format for personal portraits. Nor do they appear to have been reticent about indulging in the new craze. In July 1862 stationer T.A. Johnson of 33 Victoria Street announced the recent arrival "from the leading English, German and French Houses, a very large assortment of the newest and most elegant Carte de Visite Albums."


The Derby Mercury, 12 November 1862
In November that year, E. Clulow and Son of 36 Victoria Street advertised a stock of carte de visite albums for sale, to hold 20, 30 or 50 portraits, and in December J.A. Rowbottom of Iron Gate offered "carte de visite albums and portraits in great variety."


The Derby Mercury, 28 January 1863
The first to advertise actual carte de visite portrait sittings in The Derby Mercury was the new Derby branch of the Leicester photographic firm John Burton and Sons, with a studio above Clulow's bookshop. As well as a hefty list of notable patrons including, supposedly, His Royal Highness the Late Prince Consort, "their carte de visite portraits, of which they have already taken many thousands, are universally admired ..."


A detailed analysis of early photographers operating in Derby shows that there were already seven resident practitioners at the advent of the carte de visite but, within a couple of years of its appearance, this number had doubled. Obviously portrait sittings were in great demand.

The fashion for collecting albums full of photographs of royalty and the famous is reported to have been on the wane by the late 1860s. Albums compiled in the 1870s and 1880s that I have seen are indeed characterised by a somewhat lower celebrity content, and the nature of newspaper advertisements by stationers and photographers tends to reflect that trend. They are still present to some degree in some albums, even those dating as late as the 1900s, but I suspect many have been culled to satisfy the demands of collectors in more recent years.

References

Coe, Brian (1976) The Birth of Photography: The story of the formative years 1800-1900, London: Spring Books, 144p.

Pols, Robert (2002) Family Photographs, 1860-1945: A Guide to Researching, Dating and Contextualising Family Photographs, Surrey, England: Public Record Office, 166p.

Rosenblum, Naomi (1981) A World History of Photography, New York: Abbeville Press, 671p.

Sepia Saturday 78: Byron of New York

People change their names for many reasons. One might speculate at length as to why basketmaker James Byron Clayton (1826-1880) abandoned his family name when opening a photographic studio in Nottingham in 1857. The simplest argument, and probably the closest to the truth, is that described by Bernard and Pauline Heathcote in their booklet, Pioneers of Photography in Nottinghamshire [1].

His younger brother Walter Clayton (1833-1893) had already upstaged him by opening a studio in Greyhound Street, Nottingham a year earlier. Perhaps it was to distinguish himself in a rapidly growing market with numerous competitors, and his baptismal middle name, Byron, seemed to have a little more cachet. Whatever the purpose, he dropped the Clayton and simply became James Byron, photographer of Ram Yard, Long Row East.


When his son Joseph Clayton (1847-1923), in turn, entered the profession in 1867, taking over a studio in Blackfriars Street, London, he too styled himself in the fashion of an artist photographer. With lofty ambitions, his first carte de visite mounts were ordered from the printers with the name Byron Clayton, supplemented by the description, "Parliamentary & Portrait Photographer," perhaps more aspirational than by actual appointment.


Joseph Byron Clayton, c.1875-1876
Image courtesy of Heathcote & Heathcote (2001) [1]
Sadly, Joseph's sojourn in London was short one. After a run-in with the constabulary and a brief spell of incarceration, he returned to Nottingham and entered business with his father around 1870, an arrangement which continued until the latter's retirement in 1876. In 1873 and 1874 Joseph also operated the oddly named Magnet Studio in Leicester jointly with his uncle Walter, although the partnership did not last for long.


James Byron Clayton died in 1880, shortly after which Joseph opened a new Nottingham studio in Bridlesmith Gate. He must have done sufficient business to be able to order a sequence of fresh card mount designs, such as the one displayed above with a Georgian flavour. By early 1886, however, the business was in significant financial difficulty, and a further move to Smithy Row was insufficient to stave off bankruptcy proceedings.


The Byron family, Nottingham, 1888
Gelatin silver print by J. Byron, Ref. 93.1.4.1 [2]
In the summer of 1888 Joseph Byron decided to make a new start. He, his wife Julia (née Lewin) and their eldest daughter travelled to New York in September, with their remaining four children following a month later, accompanied by Julia's mother.


A scene from Fred R. Hamlin's production of "The Wizard of Oz" at the Majestic Theatre, 1903
Gelatin silver print by J. Byron, Ref. 41.420.748 [2]
Initially Joseph Byron practised as a freelance press photographer for the Illustrated American and other clients, but in 1889 he made a foray into theatrical photography. According to David Shields [4]:

Sarony studio's control of the theatrical portrait trade prompted Byron to make sittings a secondary concern, concentrating instead on production stills. He was one of the pioneers in the creation of stage images that could be used in programs, memorial brochures, and magazines ... The most artistic of the early 'stage picture' photographers, Joseph Byron attempted to capture the dynamic of stage action from unusual angles at moments of acute emotional impact.

Portrait, Ethel Barrymore, c.1902 - "More regal than royalty."
Gelatin silver print by J. Byron, Ref. 93.1.1.8603 [2]
He was not averse to taking formal portraits at sittings when the opportunity arose, such as this drawing room sitting of Ethel Barrymore taken at around the time she gave out what would become her most famous line, "That's all there is, there isn't any more."


The New York Times Building under construction
1 Times Square, c.1903
Gelatin silver print by J. Byron, Ref. 93.1.1.16687 [2]
Eventually his wife Julia and several of their children, including son Percy, all became involved in the photographic business. The Museum of the City of New York has an extensive collection of prints and glass plate negatives by the Byron Company, with over 24,000 images online [2]. The breadth of Byron's prolific output in the 1890s and early 1900s demonstrates his willingness to search for clients and subjects in all parts of the metropolis. This photograph, typical of his many architectural views, provides an unusual early view of the Times Building under construction in Times Square.


Children, Playing on streets, 1908
Gelatin silver print by J. Byron, Ref. 93.1.1.3171 [2]
His street views were a little more lively, and he might just as easily capture a gaggle of kids playing on a street corner in a run-down neighbourhood (image above), as a party of friends out for a thrill on the pleasure rides at Coney Island.


Miss Jackson, Bath Beach, New York, 1898
Gelatin silver print by J. Byron, Ref. 93.1.1.1311 [2]
It seems likely that some of his work consisted of on the spot commissions, such as this delightful shot of a Miss Jackson trying out an early bathing costume at Bath Beach, for which one assumes he must have entered the water himself.


Thomas A. Edison, 1904
Gelatin silver print by J. Byron, Ref. 93.1.1.8765 [2]
Although he is perhaps best remembered for his New York cityscape views and theatrical compositions, his business was incredibly varied. He was apparently just as happy to visit Thomas Alva Edison's laboratory (above) as he was to stand in the street outside Lazarus Levy's clothing store on East Broadway (below).


30 East Broadway. A crowd of children in front of L. Levy, Manufacturer of Clothing, 1898
Gelatin silver print by J. Byron, Ref. 93.1.1.17141 [2]
His son Percy Byron followed him into the practice, but in 1906 moved to Edmonton, Alberta where he established a photographic business with his brother-in-law Gustave May. The Byron-May partnership experienced a significant downturn in business during the Great War, and Percy returned to New York. He rejoined his father, and spearheaded a new specialisation into ship photography.


Joseph and Julia Byron, 1904
Gelatin silver print by the Byron Company, Ref. 93.1.4.7 [2]
Joseph Byron died in 1923, after which Percy took over the Byron Company and continued to run it successfully until the middle of the Second World War, when business once again declined, and the company was finally wound up in October 1942 [3]. Percy Byron died on 10 June 1959.

My profile of the Byron-Clayton family in Nottingham and London, prior to Joseph's emigration to New York, is supplemented with a gallery containing numerous examples of their portrait work.

This article is a submission to Sepia Saturday 78. For further serendipitous finds from the sepia archives, it's well worth a visit.

References

[1] Heathcote, Bernard & Pauline (2001) Pioneers of Photography in Nottingham, 1841-1910, Nottinghamshire County Council, 62p.

[2] Byron Company Collection, Museum of the City of New York web site.

[3] Simmons, Peter (1999) Gotham Comes of Age: New York Through the Lens of the Byron Company, 1892 - 1942, Pomegranate Communications, 216p. ISBN 0764909061. Partially available online from Google Books.

[4] Joseph Byron, on Broadway Photographs: Art Photography and the American Stage, 1900-1930.

[5] Payne, Brett (2011) James Byron Clayton (1826-1880) & Joseph Byron Clayton (1847-1923) of Nottingham.

Edward Foster, silhouettist - Part 2

In Part 1 of this article, I discussed the circumstances surrounding Derby centenarian Edward Foster's visit to John Burton & Sons' portrait studio in Victoria Street, Derby on 8 November 1864. The sitting was beneficial to both parties, the relatively new Burton branch studio achieving a kind of celebrity endorsement, and Mr Foster a handy set of cartes de visite to hand out to friends, business acquaintances and prospective purchasers of his products. Whether money actually changed hands or not - Foster was a canny businessman, even in his advanced years - is probably a moot point. The fact that two copies of the portrait have already surfaced probably means that many more were produced.

I wrote previously that I would continue in the second of the series with a discussion of Edward Foster's early life in the military and his career as a silhouettist. I'm going to amend that slightly, leaving the early part of Foster's life to deal with in due course, and talk here about the latter part of his career which has left a lasting and verifiable record. As alluded to earlier, Foster himself had spent a good portion of his life producing likenesses of people, in the pre-photographic era, and it was probably the advent of popular photographic portraiture that forced him to seek an alternative means of making a living, much as happened to William Seville some years later.


Miniature portrait, reputedly of Edward Foster as a young man
Source unknown [2]
It is not clear exactly when Edward Foster, in the words of Mr. Henry Adams, editor of the Derby Reporter, giving a speech at a party held in honour of Foster's 100th birthday on Saturday 8th November 1862, "turned his attention to the fine arts." In a potted biography, presumably supplied by Foster himself, Adams stated that after retiring from the army in October 1805, "being of an active turn of mind, and having also a taste for the fine arts, he in the first instance invented and patented a machine; and in the second instance," became an artist [3]. McKechnie (1978) surmises that he had already tried his hand at painting profiles during his service in the army, and notes the existence of "profiles of soldiers (with the sitter's face in black, and his uniform in colour) which have the appearance of Foster's work." [4]

In an account supplied to a reporter from The Leicester Chronicle soon after his birthday celebration, he stated that:

... he soon after [leaving the army] obtained the office of portrait painter to the Royal Family, and had apartments allotted to him in the round tower at Windsor Castle ... Afterwards, he exercised his profession in various towns in the kingdom, and took the portraits of Lord Byron, Sir Walter Scott, and many other distinguished characters of the day.

In the same article, the writer reports being shown the entries in Foster's ledgers for visits made to Leicester in 1808 and 1818 [5].


Advertisment in The Leeds Mercury, 17 June 1809

The first indisputable contemporary evidence found during this study, however, of Foster's commercial artistic activity is an advertisement that he placed in The Leeds Mercury of 17 June 1809 [6]. The words "By His Majesty's Royal Letters Patent" suggest that a Royal patent had been granted for the newly invented machine for sketching profiles in a short space of time, accurately and in great detail, although Foster in this particular case neither implicitly states that he was the inventor of the machine nor the grantee of the patent. Later descriptions of the machine render it likely to have been a pantograph, or at the least an adaptation of one, which had been invented at least some two centuries earlier [7], but was perhaps not in common everyday use.

Edward Foster, stating that he was "from London," was clearly producing black profiles at Harrogate in Leeds (Yorkshire) for a price of five shillings each at this time, but there is no mention here of any appointment as painter to the Royal family. His trade labels, affixed to the reverse of the framed silhouettes, also stated "from London" and McKechnie presumes this to mean that it was in London where he started his artistic career [4].


Advertisment in The Hull Packet, 26 December 1809

Six months later he was in Hull, also in Yorkshire, and had added the Royal coat of arms to his advertisement [8], as well as offering "profiles in black, at 5s. and upwards," suggesting an expansion of his repertoire. His marketing skills were also improving, with specimens of his work left displayed prominently at several shops dotted around town in order to drum up more commissions.

A similar advertisement in The Derby Mercury on 20 December 1810 stated that he had taken apartments for a short time, at Mr. Abbot's, trimmer, Friar Gate" in Derby [9] and he was still at the same premises at the beginning of January, with samples on display at Mr. Drewry's and Mr. Pritchards's, booksellers [10]. There was competition, however; a William Everitt advertised in the Mercury on 10 January that he had "taken 253 likenesses within the last 7 weeks." [11]


Reverse of framed silhouette showing Foster's trade label
Image © and courtesy of Cynthia McKinley & Wigs on the Green
Foster may not have remained in Derby for long, existing trade labels suggesting that he was as far afield as Macclesfield [12] and Dover during the next three years [4], and further newspaper advertisements suggest a brief visit to Exeter in March-April 1812 [13].


Black profile of unidentified boy, c.1811-1814
Image © and courtesy of Peggy McClard Antiques
McKechnie describes the "black profile" of a young teenage boy with "his hair in the à la Brutus style" and a narrow shirt frill turned down at the neck as being typical of Foster's black profiles, and dates it as from c.1811-1814 [14]. Peggy McClard who, at the time of writing, owns this silhouette and kindly gave me permission to use the image, states:

This painted silhouette well represents Foster's "black profiles" in which he applied the black paint thinly then added detail with pigment added to gum arabic, and, sometimes, Chinese white. The frills of shirts were left without pigment (as in this silhouette). This 5 3/8" x 6 3/8" papier mâché frame is topped with one of Foster's trademark brass hangers bearing his name about the Royal crown.

Unlike many other silhouettists such as William Seville who cut them out of paper, Foster always painted his profiles.


Portrait of an unidentified lady, c.1814
Image © and courtesy of Cynthia McKinley & Wigs on the Green
Cynthia McKinley describes another early black profile of a young woman by Foster [15] (shown above) as follows:

This is a silhouette portrait of an unknown lady wearing a day dress with a columnar neck culminating in a single ruff under her chin. She also has a fashionable turban which conceals all but a few curls of her hair. This is one of Foster's early 'black profiles' where the costume details have been carefully outlined using gum arabic. It dates to around 1814 and is set in a papier-mâché frame with a decorative surround and a bunch of grapes hanger.

Several newspaper adverts from 1815 and 1816 indicate that Foster was still touring the counties: he was in Oxford in January 1815, Bury in August, and Ipswich in January the following year [16,17,18]. McKechnie describes a trade label dating from c.1817 which indicate that Foster had been working "for the last Three Years, in the Counties of Derbyshire, Yorkshire, and Lancashire," and was currently "removed from the Promenade, to Mr. Batchelor's, adjoining Hargrove's Library, High Harrogate," presumably in Leeds.

Foster recorded in his ledger a visit to Leicester in 1818, and the Chronicle reporter wrote:

... While here ... he married Miss Elizabeth Ward, niece of Mr. John Ireland, who for many years carried on the business of a bookseller on the premises where the Chronicle is now published." [5]

This is supported by an entry in the Leicester St Margaret parish registers, showing that they were married on 10 October 1818 [19]. Their son Edward Ward Foster is supposed to have been born at London on 3 August 1819 [19].


Profile of Thomas Marseille of Canterbury, by Edward Foster, 1822
Image © and collection of Brett Payne [20]
This profile of Canterbury gentleman Thomas Marseille, dated 1822, is in the "red" style that Foster painted later in his career [20]. Desmond Coke, in his book The Art of Silhouette, praises Foster's originality, experimentation and innovation, refers to him rather extravagantly as "the very Post-Impressionist of Silhouette," and suggests that his choice in frames showed that he considered himself an artist rather than mere showman [21].


Profile of Captain Samuel Hadlock, by Edward Foster, dated 1824
Image © and courtesy of Islesford Historical Society Museum [22]
McKechnie shows Foster to have been working at 125, The Strand in that year, at Needham Market, Suffolk in 1820 and in Preston and Liverpool in 1823 [4], so it is obvious that he was still travelling widely. The silhouette portrait of American entrepreneur showman Captain Samuel Hadlock, Jr. was almost certainly done in London in 1824 [22].


Profile of Mr Paley, Iron Works, Bradford, by Edward Foster, 1825
Image © and courtesy of Richard Mole, Antique Dealers & Restorers [24]
The red profile of Mr Paley could that of John Green Paley (1774-1860), partner in the Bowling Iron Works near Bradford for about 40 years from c. 1798, or his son, another John Green Paley (1807-1852), although the latter would have been only 17 or 18 years old at the time [25].


Profiles of Miss and Mr Musgrave, by Edward Foster, undated
Images © and courtesy of Peggy McClard Antiques & Cynthia McKinley of Wigs on the Green
The portraits of the bald-headed Mr. Musgrave [26], in his double-breasted coat and frilled chemise, and his fashionably attired daughter Miss Musgrave [27] are also typical of Foster's red profiles. Peggy McClard describes the latter as follows:

Foster painted her in Venetian red with gilt embellishment for her lovely hair pulled into a low knot with braids to either temple. Gold embellishment also details her gold hoop earrings and beaded necklace. The gauzy fabric of her low cut dress is depicted by Foster's "three-dot technique" of using three small, closely spaced dots to indicate transparency. Her dress is belted just below her bosom.

The portraits are sadly undated, but I think it a possibility that they were from the mid-to late 1820s rather than c.1811, as suggested by McKechnie [4].


Profiles of two unidentified children, by Edward Foster,
dated 1823 (left) and 1827 (right)
Images © and courtesy of Cynthia McKinley of Wigs on the Green [28]
These two charming profiles of children, and that of a magnificently bonneted woman (below) - kindly sent to me by Cynthia McKinley of Wigs on the Green - on the other hand, are all signed and dated by Foster.


Profile of unidentified woman, by Edward Foster, 1827
Image © and courtesy of Cynthia McKinley of Wigs on the Green [29]
Foster was in Huddersfield in 1825, and there is possibility that he settled there for a while, although McKechnie shows him at Windsor in 1832 [4]. In December 1863, after the celebration of his 101st birthday, The Derby Mercury reported that Foster had "been invited to a public dinner at Huddersfield, where he resided for many years, and held an official position in the Court Leet. [23]


Profile of Marguerite Gardiner (1789-1849), Countess of Blessington
by Edward Foster, dated 1829
from The History of Silhouettes by E.N. Jackson [33]
Whether or not this was true, it appears that by late 1832, Foster was experiencing some financial difficulties. A notice for proceedings of bankruptcy against "Edward Foster, Huddersfield, carver" appeared in The Derby Mercury of 14 November 1832, followed by a notice of the sale of original paintings belonging to Foster at his "premises ... in New Street, Huddersfield ... on Thursday, the 27th June 1833." [30,31]


Advertisement from The Derby Mercury, 25 Dec 1833
Image © 19th Century British Library Newspapers & courtesy of Gale CENGAGE Learning
To recover from this setback, he appears to have moved to Derby very soon afterward, setting up in premises - probably shared - at 43 Corn Market, and announcing his presence to potential customers on Christmas Day with some panache [32]:

A CARD.
---FOSTER, Carver, Gilder, Looking Glass, and Picture Frame Manufacturer, Printseller, Miniature Painter, Profilist and General Artist,
No. 43, CORN MARKET, DERBY
Paintings Cleaned, Lined, Repaired and Varnished

Profile of unidentified man, by Edward Foster, 1833
Image © and courtesy of Richard Mole, Antique Dealers & Restorers [34]
That Foster was still actively painting profiles is demonstrated by this portrait of an unidentified man, signed and dated, 1833 [34]. Both editions of Pigot & Co.'s trade directories published in 1835 and 1842 show Edward Foster as a carver and gilder in the Market place, Derby, suggesting a period of relative stability for the family [35,36], but Foster himself apparently continued to travel widely. McKechnie provides details of two advertisements appearing in the Windsor & Eton Express in July 1838 announcing his intention to be available in Windsor, presumably to take profiles [4].

Just when he ceased painting profiles is not yet clear, but the mid-1830s saw a shift in focus for his career which I will discuss in the next article of this series.

I would like to thank, in particular, Cynthia McKinley and Peggy McClard, who have been of great help in researching this period of Edward Foster's life, and have been most generous with sharing images of Foster profiles. If any reader has profiles by Foster, particularly if dated and where the subject may be identified, I would be very keen to hear from you, as it may well add usefully to what we know of his movements.

References

[1] Carte de visite portrait of Edward Foster, dated 8 November 1864, by John Burton & Sons of Leicester, Derby, Birmingham, Nottingham & Burton-upon-Trent, Collection of Virginia Silvester, Reproduced by permission.

[2] Image of Miniature portrait, reputedly of Edward Foster, unknown origin.

[3] Congratulatory Dinner to a Centenarian, The Derby Mercury, 12 November 1862. 19th Century British Library Newspapers, Gale CENGAGE Learning.

[4] McKechnie, Sue (1978) British Silhouette Artists and their Work, 1760-1860, London: Sotheby Parke Bernet, 799p. Extracts by kind courtesy of Peggy McClard (Peggy McClard Antiques)

[5] Mr. Edward Foster, the Centenarian, The Leicester Chronicle, 22 November 1862. 19th Century British Library Newspapers, Gale CENGAGE Learning.

[6] Advertisment, The Leeds Mercury, 17 June 1809. 19th Century British Library Newspapers, Gale CENGAGE Learning.

[7] Pantograph, from Wikipedia.

[8] Advertisment, The Hull Packet, 26 December 1809. 19th Century British Library Newspapers, Gale CENGAGE Learning.

[9] Advertisment, The Derby Mercury, 20 December 1810. 19th Century British Library Newspapers, Gale CENGAGE Learning.

[10] Advertisment, The Derby Mercury, 3 January 1811. 19th Century British Library Newspapers, Gale CENGAGE Learning.

[11] Advertisment, The Derby Mercury, 10 January 1811. 19th Century British Library Newspapers, Gale CENGAGE Learning.

[12] Image of Foster's trade label, undated. Image © and courtesy of Cynthia McKinley & Wigs on the Green.

[13] Articles & Advertisments, Trewman's Exeter Flying Post, 19 March & 16 April 1811. 19th Century British Library Newspapers, Gale CENGAGE Learning.

[14] Antique Silhouette of Young Boy by Edward Foster, Image © and courtesy of Peggy McClard Antiques.

[15] Portrait of an unidentified lady, Image © and courtesy of Cynthia McKinley & Wigs on the Green

[16] Advertisement, Jackson's Oxford Journal, 28 Jan 1815. 19th Century British Library Newspapers, Gale CENGAGE Learning.

[17] Advertisement, The Bury & Norwich Post, 2 & 9 Aug 1815. 19th Century British Library Newspapers, Gale CENGAGE Learning.

[18] Article, The Ipswich Journal, 27 Jan 1816. 19th Century British Library Newspapers, Gale CENGAGE Learning.

[19] International Genealogical Index (IGI), from the LDS Church's FamilySearch web site.

[20] Profile of Thomas Marseille (1759-1831) of Canterbury, by Edward Foster, 1822, Image © and collection of Brett Payne.

[21] Coke, Desmond (1913) The Art of Silhouette, M. Secker, 230p. Google Books.

[22] Feest, Christian F. (1999) Indians and Europe: an interdisciplinary collection of essays. University of Nebraska Press, 643pp. (p. 219) ISBN 0803268971. Courtesy of Google Books.

[23] Article, The Derby Mercury, 9 December 1863. 19th Century British Library Newspapers, Gale CENGAGE Learning.

[24] Profile of Mr Paley, Iron Works, Bradford, by Edward Foster, 1825, Image © and courtesy of Richard Mole, Antique Dealers & Restorers.

[25] Paley Family Tree, by John Attfield

[26] Profile of Miss Musgrave, by Edward Foster, Image © and courtesy of Peggy McClard Antiques

[27] Profile of Mr Musgrave, by Edward Foster, Image © and courtesy of Cynthia McKinley of Wigs on the Green

[28] Profiles of two unidentified children, by Edward Foster, dated 1823 & 1827, Images © and courtesy of Cynthia McKinley of Wigs on the Green

[29] Profile of unidentified woman, by Edward Foster, dated 1827, Image © and courtesy of Cynthia McKinley of Wigs on the Green

[30] Bankruptcy notice for Edward Foster, Huddersfield, carver, 23 Nov, 31 Dec., The Derby Mercury, 14 Nov 1832. 19th Century British Library Newspapers, Gale CENGAGE Learning.

[31] Sale of original paintings under Foster's Bankruptcy, The Leeds Mercury, 22 Jun 1833. 19th Century British Library Newspapers, Gale CENGAGE Learning.

[32] Bankruptcy notice for Edward Foster, Huddersfield, carver, 23 Nov, 31 Dec., The Derby Mercury, 25 Dec 1833. 19th Century British Library Newspapers, Gale CENGAGE Learning.

[33] Jackson, Emily Nevill (1911) The History of Silhouettes, The Connoisseur, London, 121p. Archive.org

[34] Profile of unidentified man, by Edward Foster, 1833, Image © and courtesy of Richard Mole, Antique Dealers & Restorers.

[35] Anon (1835) Pigot & Co.'s National Commercial Directory, London: J. Pigot & Co. University of Leicester's Historical Directories.

[36] Anon (1842) Pigot & Co.'s Royal National and Commercial Directory and Topography, London: J. Pigot & Co., July 1842. University of Leicester's Historical Directories.