Famous Photographers - Francis Frith
Francis Frith in Egypt and Palestine : A Victorian Photographer Abroad |
Famous Photographers >> Francis Frith
Francis Frith (1822-1898) was born in Chesterfield, Devonshire, England. He started in the cutlery business, but left in 1850 to start a photographic studio as Frith and Hayward in Liverpool.
Frith journeyed to the Middle East on three occasions, starting with a first trip to Egypt in 1856, bearing with him very large cameras (16" x 20") and using the collodion process, a major technical achievement in hot and dusty conditions.
When he had finished his travels in the Middle East in 1859, he opened the firm of F. Frith & Co. in Reigate, Surrey. In 1860 he married and embarked upon a colossal project - to photograph every town and village in the United Kingdom, in particular notable historical or interesting sights.
Initially he took the photographs himself, but as success came, he hired people to help him and set about establishing his postcard company, a firm that became one of the largest photographic studios in the world. Within a few years, over two thousand shops throughout the United Kingdom were selling his postcards.
Frith died in Reigate in 1898. His family continued the firm, which was finally sold in 1968, and closed in 1971.
Further Information
The Francis Frith Collection Browse over 100,000 photographs taken between 1860 and 1970 of almost every town and village in the UK, over 450 local history books, and historical maps which can be centered on a UK postcode or any town or village you choose. The Francis Frith Collection, photographic publishers since 1860.
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