W. & D. Downey's Late
Victorian Photographs
( Famous Person Photographs listed and shown below)
Downey, William & Daniel - a brief history
Market Square, South Shields, 1855 - 1860 -
9, Eldon Square, Newcastle on Tyne c.1860 - 1879 -
61 Ebury Street, Pimlico S.W. [London] 1872-08-
51 Ebury Street S.W. 1879
57 Ebury Street S.W. 1880-90
Wiliam Downey was born in 1829 at King Street, South Shields, ( baptism 16th August 1829). While still quite young he set up a photographic business in the Market Square. Together with his brothers James and Daniel (baptism 2nd October 1831) he opened the first photographic studio in South Shields in 1855. The business was set up in a wooden building next to the old parsonage. The studio was so successful that eventually branches were opened in Blyth and Morpeth. [from an old Magazine article on the History of South Shields]
In Ward's Directory for South Shields 1859-60: the Market Place studio is listed, Mrs Christiana Downey lived at 13 Smithy Street with her son Daniel, William lived at 14 Barrington Street.
In 1862 Queen Victoria comissioned Downey to do a series of photographs illustrating the Hartley Colliery disaster. Soon after William and brother Daniel moved down to London.
In the 1860s (listed in the 1865 Directory) W. and D. Downey had a studio at 9 Eldon Square, Newcastle on Tyne. They were commissioned annually by Queen Victoria to photograph the visitors to the Balmoral estate.
Their carte de visite photograph of the Princess of Wales
carrying her daughter on her back taken in 1867 it is said sold
over 300,000 copies perhaps making it the most successful carte
ever. They could claim to have photographed nearly every crowned
head of Europe.
Although known for their photography of Royalty and celebrities
they were, as the
Photographic News (30 April 1880, pp.206-207) was quick to point
out, happy to photograph anyone who would tender one guinea. This
gave the subject one position and a dozen cartes.
The company occupied two modest houses in Ebury Street.
Number 61 had two studios and number 57 which had only recently
been completed, had a glass house
for photography.
Downey's printing was largely done in
Newcastle where all their pictures for publication
were mounted and finished.
One accessory employed by the firm (Photographic News 16
September 1881, p. 439) was a
trapeze, which was mainly used for posing ladies.
Daniel Downey died in July 1881.
(information extracted from works by Michael Pritchard and
Avril Lansdell) and additional research by Stephen Garbutt
Downey's Famous Persons
In the 1890's W & D Downey, 57 & 61 Ebury Street, London,
published a series of portraits of prominent persons. They are of very good
quality (Woodburytypes) and of some interest... many are reprints of photographs taken in earlier years.
Royal FamilyPhotograph
The Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII)
Photograph
Prince George of Wales
ScientistsPhotograph
Professor Huxley (Thomas Henry Huxley) (1825 - 1895) Man of science. Huntarian
Professor at Royal College of Surgeons 1863 - 9, Fullerian professor at Royal
Institution 1855 - 8. Remembered for his support of Charles Darwin.
Photograph
Lord Herschell
AdmiralPhotograph
Lord Charles William De La Poer Beresford, Baron Beresford, (1846 - 1919).
Admiral, entered navy 1859. M.P Waterford 1874 - 80. Took part in the
bombardment of Alexandria 1882, Nile expedition 1884-5. Rescue of Sir C.W.
Wilson 1885. M.P. East Marylebone 1885-6-9. Rear-Admiral 1897, M.P.York
1897-1900, Woolwich 1902-3. Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean 1905; Admiral
1906, Commander-in-Chief of Channel Fleet 1907-9 (opposed Admirality policy).
M.P. Portsmouth 1910-16. Retired received GCB 1911, baron 1916.
ActressesPhotograph
Sarah Bernhardt (Henriette Rosina Bernard) The Divine Sarah (1844 -
1923. French Actress, certainly the greatest tragedienne of her day and
possibly the most versitile ever. A legend!
Photograph
Some Leading Actresses: A Group
A to Z of Leading Victorians
Photograph
The Archbishop of Canterbury
Photograph
Sir Frederick Augustus Abel (1827 - 1902). Chemist, invented cordite.
President of Chemical and other societies
Photograph
The Rev. Henry Allon, D.D. (1818 - 1892) Congregational divine. Editor of
British Quarterly Review.
Photograph
Lord Armstrong [?George 1836 - 1907) Newspaper Proprietor of the People]
.
Photograph The Countess of Dudley [Georgiana, was the most famous of all the so-called Professional Beauties. Their photos were displayed for a penny or two at the stationers', with no remuneration for the ladies themselves, other than the adoring fame it gave them. There is a famous description of the incredible crowds Georgiana used to draw as she drove through Hyde Park -- even members of the aristocracy were standing up on benches in the park trying to get a glimpse of her!].
Photograph
Dame Millicent Fawcett (ne้ Garrett) (1847 - 1929) Suffragist and educational
reformer who led the womens suffrage movement for over five decades. A founder
of Newnham College, Cambridge.
Photograph
The Rev. Hugh Price Hughes (1847 - 1902) Methodist divine.
Photograph Lady Jeune, Victorian women's writer. [Lady Jeune or Lady St. Helier, Susan Marie Elizabeth Stewart-Mackenzie Jeune,
she was a energetic and well-connected writer and activist.
Some of her works: Dinners and Diners ----
English Women in Political Campaigns [1895] ---- London Society ---- London Society and its Critics [1892]]
Photograph
Herr Joseph Joachim. Celebrated violinist, born in Kitsee, Hungary of Jewish
parents July 15th 1831.
Photograph
Sir Frederick Leighton, Baron Leighton of Stretton (1830 - 1896) Painter,
President of the Royal Academy, buried St Paul's Cathedral, London.
Photograph The Duchess of Leinster [Wife of the 5th Duke, considered a great beauty, there is also a photogravure of her as a plate in The Book of Beauty 1897]
Photograph
Sir James Dromgole Linton. President Royal Inst. Painters in
Watercolour.
Photograph
(Eliza) Lynn Linton (1822 - 1898) Novelist, on the staff of the Morning
Chronicle, contributed to Saturday Review and All the Year Round. She wrote many
works including The Rebel of the Family ( it has one of my photographs on the cover! )
Photograph
Sir Frank Lockwood, Q.C., M.P. (1846 - 1897). Solicitor-general 1894 - 1895).
Liberal M.P. for York 1885 - 1897.
Photograph
Colonel Maurice. [?Sir John Frederick Maurice (1841 - 1912) Served in War
Office and in Ashanti, South Africa, Egypt and Sudan]
Photograph
Miss Maude Millett, actress (1867 - 1920). [ E S Willard remained in England, intent on developing his own company. In 1889, he had an enormous success, presenting The Middleman by Henry Arthur Jones, in which he played the vengeful potter, Cyrus Blenkarn, with Maude Millett (1867-1920) as Mary Blenkarn, his daughter.] [She played Miss Mabel Chiltern in Oscar Wilde's An Ideal Husband at the Theatre Royal, Haymarket, London on the 3 January 1895]
Photograph
The Right Hon. John Morley, Viscount Morley of Blackburn (1838 - 1923).
Statesman and man of letters. Publications: Life of Cobden 1881, Oliver
Cromwell 1900, Life of Gladstone 1903. Secretary for India (1905 - 10),
Chancellor Manchester University 1908. Liberal, agnostic and
individualist.
Photograph
Signor Alfredo Carlo Piatti (1822 - 1901) Violoncellist and composer. Born at
Bergamo. Appeared in London 1844 - 1896, died near Bergamo.
Photograph
Sir Henry Frederick Ponsonby (1825 - 1895) Major-general, served in Crimea.
Private Secretary to Queen Victoria 1870. Privy Councillor, 1880.
Photograph
Mrs Humphry Ward (Mary Augusta Ward) (1851 - 1920). Novelist and Social
Worker.
Photograph
The Rev. Dr. Warre [?Edmond Warre (1837 - 1820). Headmaster of
Eton.]
Edwardian
Photograph Queen Alexandra, 1908 from her Christmas Book.
Additional (Not Downey)
PhotographCharles Darwin from a photograph by Elliot & Fry, carte de visite (available up to 800dpi as a tiff)
Photograph Charles Darwin from a photograph by Elliot & Fry. (Published 1902.) [Printed image].
Photograph Alfred Russel Wallace. [Printed image]
Photograph Professor Sir Richard Owen (1824-1892). Photo: Mayall, Piccadilly, London. (Copied by E & S Woodbury) Printed image, late 1890s.
Photograph Vice Admiral Sir Edward Hobart Seymour, G.C.B., printed image after a photograph by Maull & Fox.
Painting of Queen Victoria Her Majesty The Queen in her robes of state, from the painting by F. Winterhalter.[1859]. (Eyre & Spottiswood, Lith. London), printed image published late 1890s.
Photograph Queen Victoria and Albert in 1860 (Printed image, published 1921)
Photograph Queen Victoria with the Princess Beatrice, April 1871. Photograph by Hughes & Mullins, Ryde. (Copied by Woodbury) Printed image late 1890s.
Photograph Queen Victoria, the Prince of Wales, the Czar and Czarina and their infant daughter. Photographed at Balmoral, November 1896. Photo by R. Milne, Aboyne. (Copied by E & S Woodbury) Printed image late 1890s.
See also 100 plus sketches and photographs of Famous Victorians at Historical Portrait Sketches and Photographs
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