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Cambridgeshire Cambridgeshire Post Office Cambridgeshire Other local Stickyback and Mystery Mystery Ownership and |
Old Photographs - Cambridgeshire Photographers - BLANCHARD, Valentine Photographers are listed alphabetically by surname on the following pages. 0 - 9 | Aa-Ak | Al-Ao | Ap-As | At-Az | Ba-Bak | Bal-Bam | Ban-Bd | Be-Bh | Bi-Bk | Bl-Bn | Bo-Bp | Br-Bt | Bu-Bz | Ca-Ck | Cl-Cn | Coa-Cor | Cos-Cz | Da-Dh | Di-Dq | Dr-Dz | Ea-Ec | Ed-Ez | Fa-Fh | Fi-Fz | Ga-Gd | Ge-Gq | Gr-Gz | Ha-Hd | He-Hh | Hi-Hn | Ho-Hz | Ia-Iz | Ja-Je | Jf-Jz | Ka-Kz | La-Ld | Le-Ln | Lo-Lz | Maa-Mad | Mae-Mar | Mas-Mb | Mc-Mi | Mj-Mz | Na-Nh | Ni-Nn | No-Nz | Oa-Oz | Pa-Pb | Pc-Ph | Pi-Po | Pr-Pz | Qa-Qz | Ra-Rd | Re-Rh | Ri-Rz | Sa-Sb | Sc-Sf | Sg-Sk | Sla-Slz | Sma-Ss | Sta-Std | Ste-Sth | Sti-Sy | Ta-Te | Tf-Ti | Tj-Tz | Ua-Uz | Va-Vz | Wa-We | Wf-Wh | Wi-Wz | XYZ Name: BLANCHARD, Valentine b: 1831 Wisbech, d: 1901 Herne, Kent This entry for Valentine Blanchard is difficult to write, because there were two Valentine Blanchards, related to each other, both photographers and both connected with Cambridgeshire. It is difficult to tease apart and attribute some of the historic traces which we can find today, which could possibly have related to either of them. The story starts with a third Valentine Blanchard (for the sake of simplicity we will call him Valentine Blanchard Snr), a solicitor’s clerk, born in Cambridgeshire in 1786 and his wife Lucy b: 1796. Amongst their children were two brothers, Ainscough Blanchard, b: 1826 at Horncastle Lincolnshire and Valentine Blanchard b: 1831, at Wisbech St Peter, Cambridgeshire. Ainscough Blanchard married Sarah b: 1824 Kings Lynn and amongst their children was Valentine Louis Blanchard b: 1859 at Kings Lynn. Valentine b: 1831 and his nephew Valentine Louis b: 1859 both became photographers, the older of the two originating in Wisbech and becoming the more famous and successful; the younger, less well known, having the closer connection with Cambridge. In 1851 Valentine Blanchard Snr (then an attorney’s general assistant), his wife Lucy and children Valentine, Mary and Horatio A, were all living in Bedford Street, Wisbech St Peter. The two boys were apprentice printers and Mary was a dressmaker. By 1852 Valentine b: 1831 had completed his apprenticeship, moved to London and on 7th May 1854 he married Mary Ann Allen b: 1830 Norwich. At about this time, after much reading on the subject, limited experimentation and help from a photographer who shared the same lodgings, Valentine set out in a new career as a photographer, using the Daguerreotype process. Valentine operated a studio at 147 Strand Westminster from 1857 to 1858. He must also have travelled in connection with his work. On 15 Jan 1859 the Cambridge Chronicle recorded that “Mr Valentine Blanchard, a native of Wisbech, who is now here on a professional visit as a photographer, on Monday evening last read to the members of the Mechanics’ Institute in the public hall Dickens’ Christmas Carol.” The reading took 2 hours and was well received. In the 1861 census Valentine was shown as a photographer, living at 151 High Street Marylebone. Also present at that address were their two daughters, Ellen b:1859 Wisbech and Florence b: 1860 London. Valentine’s sister in law, Louisa T Allen, b:1842, Wisbech, and a 15 year old female servant were both present with the family on census night. In 1862 Valentine exhibited two instantaneous stereoscopic Views of London in the Annual Exhibition of the Photographic Society of London. These were exhibited in the joint names Smyth and Blanchard, suggesting that Valentine at that point had a partner, and as his name came second in the firm's name, Valentine was presumably the junior partner. The Smyth in question may have been a Sydney Smyth, nothing further known at this point. The Illustrated London News, 11 April 1863, carried an engraving of Sandringham Church from a photograph taken by Valentine. From images Valentine deposited at Stationers Hall for copyright purposes, it seems that he was photographing in Wisbech on 18th April 1863 (see table below). In March 1864 Valentine was again back in Wisbech, giving a talk on photography at the Mechanics’ Institute (Cambridge Independent Press, 26 Mar 1864 P7). During the early 1860s, then using the wet plate process, Valentine produced a series of instantaneous stereoscopic views of the streets of London, its landmarks and of the River Thames. Some of these are described in the table below where Valentine submitted registration forms to Stationers Hall for copyright purposes. These were very popular and sold well. The Photographic Journal of 16 June 1862 p73 praised the series, which were published by CE Elliot, Aldermanbury Postern, London. Of Valentine they said "We welcome a new and successful worker in this interesting branch of our art" and "a view of St Pauls from Southwark Bridge is we think one of the most perfect things of the kind we have seen", "we shall look forward to further work of this kind from Mr Blanchard". The series must have been quite large - the review mentioned the number of several cards in the series, the highest number they cited was No 123. Many examples turn up today on online auction sites. Speaking in 1891 Valentine explained how he put together this impressive set of views. PHOTOGRAPHING THE ROYAL EXCHANGE. In the new number of the Photographic Quarterly (Hazell, Watson, and Vincy), an admirably edited quarterly full of articles almost as interesting to the outsider as to the great army of photographers, professional and amateur themselves, Mr. Valentine Blanchard tells us that instantaneous photography is no new thing, whatever the ignorant among us may have thought. He describes how he took a series of instantaneous pictures of the Thames and of the London streets in 1860 and 1862, and the reproductions of the photographs which accompany his paper show that they were very good pictures, too. To take an instantaneous picture of a London street is obviously no easy matter, and Mr. Blanchard describes his little adventures when he went out to “take" the Royal Exchange: - When I made my street-views of London for the stereoscope, I used a darkened cab for my developing-room and perched myself and camera on the roof when making the picture. Every fine day the same cabman came to know if I wanted him before starting for his usual day's work. He soon became very expert in pinning up the dark cloth used for the transformation of the cab into a laboratory on wheels. In starting for the day the route we took depended upon the direction of the wind. With an easterly wind it was useless westwards, and therefore we probably went towards the City. several occasions I had looked with longing eyes at the Exchange and Bank of England from the corner of Cheapside, but the immense traffic appeared to make the selection of a suitable spot for the cab impossible. On a memorable day, when the City was unusually clear, I sighed when I came in sight of the desired view and 1 said to cabby — for I always rode beside him on the box — how much I wished to make this particular picture, but that I thought it impossible, He was quite a character and remarkably ready-witted. In answer he said, You get inside and be nimble, and I’ll work it.” With palpitating heart I went inside to prepare the plate; and during the time necessary to get it into the bath and afterwards into the dark slide, and which seemed an age to me, I heard hoarse murmur from without, which gathered force and resembled the distant roar of the sea. Presently I could distinguish the voice of cabby, and heard the following: —"He’s a gentleman employed by Government, and we are going to the Tower after this. We start from the Horse Guards every morning. Just you watch him when he comes out. Won't he astonish you, that’s all?”. When I came out I found the cab in the middle of Cheapside, and the whole of the traffic stopped, and several policemen in attendance. With fear and trembling I mounted to the roof and made the exposure. As I came down Cabby, with great deference, said, Shall I go on to the side of the Bank now, sir?” And turning to the police he said with triumph, “There, what did tell you? Ain’t it wonderful?” The Picture was a success, and I went away a happy man. (ST. JAMES’S GAZETTE 20 Jan 1891 P15) During the 1860s Valentine’s photographic achievements were regularly noted by the press. Further sets of instantaneous stereoscopic prints were produced of Brighton, Dover and Ramsgate. By 1866 Valentine was exhibiting his work in the Photographic Society’s Exhibition. The Caledonian Mercury on 31 March 1866 recorded “Mr Valentine Blanchard is a large and upon the whole credible exhibitor.” In 1867 he published a set of seven instantaneous photographs showing the principal events of the review of the fleet at Spithead taken from one of the forts. (Morning Post 27 July 1867). In 1868 he published a series of photographs of ten cartoon sketches presented by artist John Absolon to the Governors of Guys Hospital (London Evening Standard 24 Mar 1868). Later that year he took a series of “capital stereoscopic instantaneous views” of the National Rifle Association’s Prize Meeting and camp on Wimbledon Common which were published by Messrs Harrison of Pall Mall. (Morning Advertiser 25 July 1868, South London Chronicle 8 Aug 1868) Towards the end of the 1860s the market for stereo cards had declined and Valentine had started to perfect another area of photography – the studio portrait. In the International Exhibition in Paris in 1867 (Reported in the Photographic Journal of 16 July 1867) Valentine achieved bronze awards for both his instantaneous views and his portraits. The South London Press 13 Nov 1869 on the Annual Photographic Society exhibition stated “the productions of Mr Valentine Blanchard in portraits were undoubtedly the gems of the exhibition”. The Isle of Ely Gazette’s Wisbech column on the same exhibition said, “Our artistic townsman Mr Valentine Blanchard is gaining great applause by his magnificent portraits", quoting the British Journal of Photography which referred to these as “the best example of portraits in the exhibition. His portraits are of two sizes 10 x 8 and 15 x 12. They are of a class now known as Salomonesque, especially those of the smaller size. Those of larger size may rather be regarded as studies of heads. Their pose is artistic, their tone a fine warm velvety brown and their lighting faultless. A portrait of that well known artist connected with our comic serials, Mr Proctor, is perhaps in its technical qualities the finest of Mr Blanchard’s productions, although his larger heads secure the greatest amount of public attention”. The reference to “Salomonesque” implies a likeness to the work of the French artist and photographer Antoine Samuel Adam-Salomon https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antoine_Samuel_Adam-Salomon , whose superb artistic portraits universally praised and were undoubtedly a great influence on Valentine. Valentine exhibited a portrait of Adam-Salomon in the Photographic Society's exhibition in 1871. Valentine's association with the Photographic Society of London was extensive. He was always willing to share his discoveries. He was a member of their Council from 1870 -1888 and was Vice President 1874-76. He presented papers to the Society in 1867, 1868, 1869, 1880 and 1895, and his photographs were shown in their exhibitions in 1869, 1871, 1872, 1873, 1875, 1877, 1883, 1884, 1885, 1889 and 1895. Valentine briefly tried what might now be described as a version of freelance news photography, advertising a set of photographs relating to the Wood Green Tragedy – a sensational double murder - 12 stamps each photograph or 30 stamps for the series of three. (Hackney and Kingsland Gazette 16 Oct 1869 p2). A disaster struck Valentine in 1869 which almost ended his career and life. The Liverpool Mercury 6 Dec 1869 was one of a number of papers which syndicated this story. “A day or two since in London Mr Valentine Blanchard, a well known authority on English photography was engaged in work when some gun cotton and collodion suddenly took fire, exploding with great force and threw Mr Blanchard into the garden flat on his back and blew to pieces all his cameras and other appliances of photography”. The fire was reported to have taken place at Camden Cottages in Kentish Town which was where Valentine and his family were living. Valentine luckily only injured his hand in the explosion. Valentine quickly recovered from this experience and in January 1870 was reported as exhibiting “wonderful photographs of gentlemen well known in literature and art” in an exhibition by the Langham Sketching Club at the Dudley Gallery. (London Evening Standard 13 Jan 1870). In March 1870 he was exhibiting at the Manchester Photographic Society’s exhibition (Manchester Courier 1 Mar 1870). We learn his new studio address when on 22 Aug 1870 The Daily Telegraph carried a small advertisement on page 7; “To parents and guardians. A chemist and dentist (old established) wishes to receive a well educated youth about 16 as an apprentice. For particulars address Chemicus, care of Valentine Blanchard 48 Picadilly” The Daily Telegraph praised Valentine’s work in the Photographic Society’s exhibition in 1870 (Daily Telegraph 12 Nov 1870 P2). In 1871 Valentine was reported as attending the Whitefriars Club Annual Dinner. (Morning Advertiser 6 Feb 1871 p6). The Whitefriars Club was later described as a “small and select coterie of working authors, journalists, artists etc”. Valentine was later reported to have produced an extraordinary series of portraits of members of the Club which hung in their club room (Daily Express 7 April 1893 p6) In April 1871 Valentine, his wife Mary Ann, daughter Nellie b 1860, nephew Charles Watkin b: 1853 London, two female servants and a visiting teacher of music, Frederick Riley b: 1806 Cheltenham, were living at 12 Camden Cottages, Kentish Town. Valentine was described as a photographer and his nephew as a photographer’s assistant. According to the London Electoral registers Valentine was at this address until 1878 when he moved to 49 Moscow Road Westminster and moved again in 1880 to 49 Caroline Place Westminster Later, in April 1871 Valentine’s mother, Lucy Blanchard, aged 77 died at Wisbech (Cambridge Independent Press 22 April 1871. In November 1871 Valentines work in the Photographic Society’s exhibition was again praised by the press (London Evening Standard 28 Nov 1871 p6) In March 1872 Valentine gave a lecture to the Photographic Society on “Re-touching”. In April 1872 Valentine was briefly back in his native Wisbech, where he photographed the unveiling of a painted portrait of the late former Wisbech Mayor, Richard Young. The Corporation clearly preferred to entrust Valentine with this important task, rather than a local photographer. (Cambridge Independent Press 6 April 1872 p 6 - thanks to Garry Monger for this reference). In May 1872 Valentine was recorded as one of the attendees at a meeting with Sarony of Scarborough to demonstrate a new photographic process – the “Aristotype” said to have been invented by Mr Van de Weyde of New York. (Morning Advertiser 14 May 1872). Again at the Photographic Society Exhibitions in 1874 and 1877 Valentine’s portraits were praised by the press. (The Graphic 24 Oct 1974 p14, Morning Post 10 Oct 1877 p3). Valentine continued to innovate. The Frome Times 15 Jan 1879 p2 reported: “One of the most charming and artistic photographic processes is that called the "powder process," in which the picture is formed by dusting powder on an image in bichromate gelatine, which is sensitive to light. The process, owing to certain technical difficulties, has hitherto been very little worked, but is now likely to receive a new impetus from a discovery made by Mr. Valentine Blanchard, of Cavendish-Street, one of the most skilful photographers of the day. His results, which I had the privilege of seeing a few days ago, are simply exquisite, and has the invaluable quality of being absolutely permanent”. In 1881 Valentine was a widower and a photographer, living at 13 St James Square, Kensington. His wife, Mary Ann had died in 1879. Living with Valentine in 1881 were his niece, Mabel Pearce b: 1873 London, a boarder, Georgina Gillis b: 1841 Belfast, plus a female servant. London Electoral registers show Valentine at this address until 1884 when he was at 289 Regent Street. In 1887 he was at 31 Westville Rd Hammersmith and in 1889 and 1890 he was at 14 Findon Road Hammersmith. In 1884 The Western Daily Press (1 Jan 1884) reporting on an international photographic exhibition at Clifton remarking that “The Platinotypes from the negatives of Mr Valentine Blanchard are admirable ones”. Later that year The Graphic (11 Oct 1884) reported on the Photographic Society Exhibition “Of portraits proper, Mr Valentine Blanchard shows some capital full length figures in unconventional attitudes of which “A siesta” is exceptionally graceful.” The Graphic (10 Oct 1885) remarked of the following year’s event: “There is a commendable decrease in the stereotyped professional photographic portraits and the orthodox hard featured likeness is rapidly making way for the more picturesque unconventional portrait in the style of which Mr Valentine Blanchard has so long endeavored to work reform”. In 1886 Valentine appeared as an authoritative London Photographer, a witness supporting the defendant, in a long-running court case McLachlan v Agnew and others (a dispute about the publication of a photograph of the Royal family). In 1884 and 1886 Valentine was a writer for The Amateur Photographer and the Camera Monthly Illustrated respectively. He continued to innovate and on 5 April 1889 the London Evening Standard reported, “A large number of photographic pictures printed by the new platinum toning process of Mr Valentine Blanchard have been shown this week at Andertons Hotel. The new process is essentially one of chemical substitution. For the particles of silver particles of platinum have been substituted so far as the change has been permitted. The print is then treated with hypo-sulphite of soda and fixed after the common practice. In 1998 and 1999 Valentine’s articles and photographs appeared in Practical Photographer and Junior Photographer. During the 1880s and 1890s there were a number of mentions of Valentine as either exhibitor, judge or speaker at different photographic exhibitions and societies. Gloucester Photographic Society 1888, 1891, Photographic Exhibition Richmond 1889, Cardiff 1891, Glasgow 1891, Leeds 1891, Devon and Cornwall 1892, Exeter 1894, Bristol 1896, Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolours 1895, Hackney 1894 In 1891 Valentine was boarding at 14 London Road Hammersmith at the home of Mrs (Mary) Georgina Gillis b:1836 Belfast. He was described as a photographer. The household had one servant. Kelly’s Directory of Cambridgeshire for 1892 records Valentine Blanchard, private resident at Rectory Farm Harston, Cambridgeshire. He does not appear in the commercial listing for the village. In 1895 still resident at Harston Cambridgeshire, Valentine presented a paper to the Photographic Society’s Technical Meeting on “A method of carbon printing without transfer” (Photographic Journal 21 Dec 1895.) He also exhibited an example print using this process at the Society’s 1895 exhibition In 1901 Valentine Blanchard was a retired photographer living at Meadow Sea (or Lea) , Herne, Kent. He had married Georgina Gillis. Living with them was a nephew, Ferdinand N Scott b: 1890 Marylebone, and a domestic servant. Below is a carte de visite of an unknown lady in crinoline on a thin card mount with square corners. On the reverse is printed a "VB" monogram, in a garter surmounted by a crown. The garter has the legend "Honorable mention 1862" and below this is "Valentine Blanchard" (a facsimile signature printed in red) and the text "Landscape and portrait photographer 12 Camden Cottages Camden Rd Villas". This appears to relate to two different addresses in Camden and is dated around 1863. The Camden Cottages address was Valentine's residence and so Camden Rd Villas may refer to a studio.
References: Valentine Blanchard of London was an important producer of stereoscopic views. His entry in "Photographers of the World (Non-USA) Complied by T. K. Treadwell & William C. Darrah, Updated by Wolfgang Sell, National Stereoscopic Association 1994 Updated 11/28/2003" lists: Valentine Blanchard, London, at the following addresses: 147 Strand: 1A Brecknock Pl.Camden Tn; 12 Camden Cottages Camden Tn: 9 Albany Courtyard Piccadilly and 289 Regent St. He is described as a major producer of fine coverage of most of central/south England; 600+ common scenes, several series, most on SCMs & numbered serially:"Stereographs of London", "Blanchard's Instantaneous Views of Hastings" "Stereographs of the Isle of Wight", "Instantaneous Margate Views", etc.; few views of Ireland. Made excellent near-instantaneous views. List of known views available from TheInstitute for Photographic Research. www.stereoworld.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/International-Photographers.pdf Photographers are listed alphabetically by surname on the following pages. 0 - 9 | Aa-Ak | Al-Ao | Ap-As | At-Az | Ba-Bak | Bal-Bam | Ban-Bd | Be-Bh | Bi-Bk | Bl-Bn | Bo-Bp | Br-Bt | Bu-Bz | Ca-Ck | Cl-Cn | Coa-Cor | Cos-Cz | Da-Dh | Di-Dq | Dr-Dz | Ea-Ec | Ed-Ez | Fa-Fh | Fi-Fz | Ga-Gd | Ge-Gq | Gr-Gz | Ha-Hd | He-Hh | Hi-Hn | Ho-Hz | Ia-Iz | Ja-Je | Jf-Jz | Ka-Kz | La-Ld | Le-Ln | Lo-Lz | Maa-Mad | Mae-Mar | Mas-Mb | Mc-Mi | Mj-Mz | Na-Nh | Ni-Nn | No-Nz | Oa-Oz | Pa-Pb | Pc-Ph | Pi-Po | Pr-Pz | Qa-Qz | Ra-Rd | Re-Rh | Ri-Rz | Sa-Sb | Sc-Sf | Sg-Sk | Sla-Slz | Sma-Ss | Sta-Std | Ste-Sth | Sti-Sy | Ta-Te | Tf-Ti | Tj-Tz | Ua-Uz | Va-Vz | Wa-We | Wf-Wh | Wi-Wz | XYZ |
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