Photographing children and family groups
To hold a pose for a number of seconds proved difficult for restless
and fidgety children and uncomfortable for elderly or disabled
sitters. In 1879, Henry Spink, who had a studio in Western
Road, Brighton and another at Goldstone Villas in Cliftonville,
was advertising "an instantaneous process for invalids
and children. Satisfaction guaranteed. First rate photographs
taken in any weather at any hour of the day."
In the early 1850s, when exposure times were lengthy, making portraits
of children or a group of several figures were regarded as difficult
operations. In 1853, Robert Farmer of 59 North Street,
Brighton advertised that the time of a sitting was ten seconds.
To make a good portrait of a child or a large family group necessitated
skill and patience and Robert Farmer introduced a scale of charges
that reflected the additional effort required.
In
1864, when carte de visite portraits were the norm, a set of a
dozen cdv portraits of a single figure would cost £1. 1s
(£1.05p) at Mayall's new photographic portrait studio in
Brighton's Kings Road. J J E Mayall charged extra for more
than one sitter. A cdv portrait of a couple would be priced at
£1.11s 6d (£1.571/2p) for a
set of 12, while a dozen copies of a portrait of three people
would cost £2.2s (£2.10p).
A family of five (c.1895).
A cabinet group portrait by Henry T. Edwards of 11 Lewes Road,
Brighton. Instantaneous photography enabled studio photographers
to make sharp images of young children and restless babies .
In 1878, the firm of C Hawkins of Preston Street, Brighton
were offering to photograph large groups on "moderate terms".
An advertisement for Hawkins' studio in January 1881, when the
larger cabinet format and instantaneous photography were making
family portraits more popular, does not mention additional charges
for groups of sitters.A cabinet size portrait of a family would
cost 2s 6d (12 1/2 p ) at Hawkins' studio
in 1881.
A large family group(c1900).
A cabinet portrait taken by Henry Heyden of 46 Blatchington Road,
Hove.
