an example of the importance of Victorian Patronage
Toronto. As an old photo collector, you may have noticed that the back of some CdVs and cabinet cards have an elaborate design stating the photographer’s special relationship with British royalty.
Continuing our 25th anniversary theme, in issue 25-5 of the journal, editor Lansdale offers an article by PHSC member, the late Thomas Ritchie of Ottawa, on Victorian Patronage as applied to the photographic industry (Canada was closely aligned with Britain in the 19th and first half of the 20th century).
Bob was a strong supporter of the publication of a wide variety of articles to celebrate our 25th anniversary year. He was in fact, a real spark of ingenuity and enthusiasm offering many suggestions beyond his journal activities.
Mr Ritchie’s article is titled. “Victorian Photographers and Royal Patronage” and shows how such patronage was valued. His article begins, “When Princess Victoria became Queen, photography was still a curiosity, but by the end of her reign it had risen to be recognized as both an art and a science involving more than 17,000 professional photographers in Great Britain alone, as well as the general public through the widespread use of hand cameras.
“She was a patron of art (with Sir William Newton as ‘Miniature Painter to Queen Victoria’) and was equally a patron of photography, conferring on fortunate photographers her special recognition.
“One of the fortunates to receive the Queen’s honour was William Notman, the Montreal photographer, granted the title Photographer to the Queen, not because of the Queen’s pleasure with the results of a sitting before his camera, but rather to express her pleasure with a large collection of Notman’s photographs taken when her son Edward, the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII), visited Canada in 1860.
“The appeal of the photographs and the Queen’s great interest in photography resulted in Notman becoming ‘Photographer to the Queen’, a title that soon appeared on the backs of his photographs, along with references to prizes that he had won in photographic exhibitions.
“Notman also photographed Victoria’s son Arthur, the Duke of Connaught and Strathearn, who as a young man took up a military career as an officer of the Royal Engineers with service in Canada in 1870 during the Red River Expedition. His subsequent service took him to many parts of the British Empire, returning to Canada in 1911 with the rank of Field Marshal to become Governor-General of Canada.
“Another of Notman’s royal clients, the Marquis of Lorne, served as Governor-General from 1878 to 1883; his wife, Princess Louise, was the Queen’s daughter.” …
Members read all of Mr Ritchie’s well illustrated article either in the original printed journal, or the issue 25-5 pdf file on the free members-only DVD/thumb drive. Joining is a snap – see above and at right. Any membership questions can be emailed to our membership secretary at member@phsc.ca.
