It's a long time since I last appeared on Sepia Saturday but when I saw that you had reached 'M' in the alphabet series I just knew I had to take part.
I may not be able to show you machines or a lady working with them.
However I came across a gentleman not known, or traced by me. There is no doubt about the photographer -
Hayman Selig Mendelssohn (1847 -1908) had studios in London and Newcastle and was also photographer to Her Majesty Queen Victoria and the Royal Family.
This portrait found on a market stall in the North East of England contains interesting information on the back.
It is most frustration that I cannot read the signature but it appears to have been written in December (?) 1888.
And the number of photographic medals also fit nicely into our theme for 'M'.
For other 'M' related posts please visit the links at Sepia Saturday 545
7 comments:
The photographer to Queen Victoria. Wow!
Hey! Good to see your name among the participants again! The name on the back of the photograph appears to be Seth - - - - ard? Beautiful swishy handwriting but almost impossible to read. :)
Glad to read your contribution here at SS again! And that's definitely a good "M" you've shared here!
A good "M"! The back of the card is much more interesting than the photograph.
Welcome back, Bob! It's always nice to read your posts and by coincidence I have two cabinet photos of musicians made at H. S. Mendelssohn's studio in New Castle! They are a violinist and cellist, a young woman and gentleman who appear to be professional musicians from the 1880s of 90s.
One back has a simpler version of the two classical Greecian female figures, while the other is nearly identical to your photo which really helps date mine. The difference is the New Castle address on Oxford Street is upper, with 14 Pembridge Crescent in Bayswater below, and then the Cathcart address. My photos also have a number which was the studio's invoicing system. My guess is that the address on yours was crossed out because it was taken at the Bayswater studio. I read the signature as Septh G. Ward. The long line into the G may be a shorthand for missing letters. Perhaps Septimus?
The name Mendelssohn is of course intriguing for a musician. Recently I also acquired two cdv photos from the 1880s, that were taken in Berlin by a photographer named D. Mendelsohn, with one s. They are both portraits of a German boy violinist but taken at slightly different times. Amazingly I bought them separately from different dealers.
Such an interesting photograph. And I agree with Mike on the signature analysis. Having the studio name is a great way to establish the time and place of the photo. So great that Mike has a comparable photo as well.
I'm sorry, Bob, I couldn't leave a great Victorian name like Septimus un-researched, so today I checked with the UK newspaper archives. It turns out I was partly right. The crossed out address on the back was because the portrait WAS taken in a different studio, but in New Castle, not Bayswater. In June 1893 the London Standard birth announcements listed a daughter born to Septimus G. Ward, a solicitor in New Castle. His name appeared in a few other legal notices, mainly estate matters in New Castle. Sadly in September 1930 The Guardian reported Septimus G. Ward's death from suicide. He "was frequently depressed and worried unnecessarily." If you drop me an email at mkbrbkr over at the gee mail, I'll send you the clippings.
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