Edwin Dann & Son of Redhill - Gallery

Click here to return to home page

Studio Portraits by Edwin Dann & Son of Redhill

 Carte-de-visite and Cabinet Portraits by Edwin Dann & Son of Redhill, Surrey
 
Edwin Dann was born around 1831 in Cuckfield, Sussex, the son of Ann and Edward Dann (c1797-1851), a master cooper. Edwin was trained as a cooper by his father. In the 1851 census, Edwin Dann is described as a "Cooper Journeyman", aged 20, and is shown living at Back Lane, Cuckfield.

After his father died in 1851, Edwin Dann and his mother Mrs Ann Dann took over Edward Dann's barrel-making business. In the 1861 census, thirty-year old Edwin Dann is described as a master cooper, employing one man. According to the census return, Edwin Dann also worked as a "Hardware Dealer" in Cuckfield.

Edwin Dann had married Mary Daffurn Wilson (born 16th May 1826, St Pancras, London, Middlesex) in 1856. At the time of the 1861 Census, Edwin Dann was living in Cuckfield Town with his wife Mary and his three sons - William, aged 4, Edwin Joseph, aged 3, and one year old George Henry Dann.

It appears that Edwin Dann began taking photographic portraits in Cuckfield as early as 1859. Throughout the 1860s, Edwin Dann worked jointly as a photographer and cooper in Cuckfield. When the 1871 census was taken, Edwin Dann is recorded in Cuckfield's High Street with his wife Mary and six children - William, aged 14, George, aged 11, John, aged 9, Emily, aged 8, Fanny (Annie), aged 6, and four year old Thomas Dann. Forty-year old Edwin Dann, is described on the census return as a "Photographer, Cooper, etc.".

Edwin Dann and Thomas Dann as Photographers in Redhill

Sometime during the 1870s, Edwin Dann set himself up as a professional photographer in Redhill, Surrey. In the 1878 edition of Kelly's Post Office Directory for Surrey, Edwin Dann is entered as a "Landscape Photographer" at Brighton Road, Redhill. In the 1881 census, Edwin Dann, his wife Mary, and three of their children are shown living above his studio premises in Brighton Road, Redhill, Surrey. Edwin Dann is described in the census return as a "photographer employing one girl and one boy".

Around 1882, Edwin Dann's youngest son, Thomas Dann (born 1866, Cuckfield, Sussex) joined his father in his photography business. From 1884, the studio in Redhill went under the name of Edwin Dann & Son. When Edwin Dann died in 1896 at the age of 64, his son Thomas Dann took over the running of the Redhill studio. In the 1901 census of Redhill, Thomas Dann is described as a "Photographer", aged 34. The census taken on 2nd April 1911 records Thomas Dann as a 44 year old photographer, residing with his Swiss-born wife Eliza and their 17 year old daughter Blanche Annie Dann (born 1894, Redhill, Surrey) at 83A Brighton Road, Redhill, Surrey. Thomas Dann operated the photographic studio in Redhill under the name of Edwin Dann & Son until the early 1920s. By 1927 the studio at 83A Brighton Road, Redhill had been sold to a photographer named E. Virgo.

[ABOVE] The trade plate of  Edwin Dann & Son, Artist Photographers of  No. 83 Brighton Road, Redhill, Surrey. When Edwin Dann died in 1896, his youngest son, Thomas Dann (born 1866), took over the running of the Redhill studio.

[ABOVE] The business premises of Edwin Dann & Son at 83A Brighton Road, Redhill, Surrey, shown at the extreme left of this 1904 postcard view of Brighton Road, Redhill. Thomas Dann, the youngest son of Edwin Dann and the proprietor Edwin Dann & Son, can be seen standing in the doorway of his photographic studio. Immediately above Thomas Dann can be seen his wife and daughter, looking out of the window of the family's living quarters located above the shop at 83A Brighton Road. [See below]

PHOTO: Courtesy of Alan Moore

 

[ABOVE]  Photographer Thomas Dann standing in the doorway of his studio at 83A Brighton Road, Redhill, Surrey (1904).

[ABOVE] Mrs Eliza (Elsa) Dann and her 10 year old daughter Blanche Dann looking out of the window above Thomas Dann's photographic studio at 83A Brighton Road, Redhill, Surrey (1904). Thomas Dann had married Elsa Schwarz (born c1863, Geneva, Switzerland) in 1892.

PHOTOS: Courtesy of Alan Moore

 

Carte-de-visite Portraits by Edwin Dann & Son

[ABOVE] A carte-de-visite portrait of a woman and her baby, a photograph produced by Edwin Dann & Son of Brighton Road, Redhill, Surrey (c1889). [ABOVE] The reverse of a carte-de-visite by Edwin Dann & Son of The Excelsior Studio, Brighton Road, Redhill, Surrey (c1889). [ABOVE] A carte-de-visite portrait of a young boy posing in a seaside setting, produced by Edwin Dann & Son of Brighton Road, Redhill, Surrey (c1890). [ABOVE] The reverse of a carte-de-visite by Edwin Dann & Son of The Excelsior Studio, Brighton Road, Redhill, Surrey (c1890).

[ABOVE] A vignette portrait of a young woman,  a carte-de-visite photograph produced by Edwin Dann & Son of Brighton Road, Redhill, Surrey (c1895). [ABOVE] A carte-de-visite portrait of a man leaning on a padded chair, a photograph produced by Edwin Dann & Son of Brighton Road, Redhill, Surrey (c1895). [ABOVE] A carte-de-visite portrait of a young man leaning on a balustrade, a photograph produced by Edwin Dann & Son of 83 Brighton Road, Redhill, Surrey (c1898). [ABOVE] A carte-de-visite portrait of a young man leaning on a piece of furniture, a photograph produced by Edwin Dann & Son of 83 Brighton Road, Redhill, Surrey (c1900).

[ABOVE] The reverse of a carte-de-visite by Edwin Dann & Son of 83 Brighton Road, Redhill, Surrey. Negative number 20,324.

[ABOVE] A carte-de-visite portrait of a man wearing a straw boater, produced by Edwin Dann & Son of 83 Brighton Road, Redhill, Surrey. Neg. No. 20,324 (c1900).

[ABOVE] A carte-de-visite portrait of a man wearing a flower in his jacket lapel., produced by Edwin Dann & Son of  Redhill, Surrey. (c1905). A later portrait of the same man is shown on the right.

[ABOVE] A carte-de-visite portrait of a man wearing a 3-piece suit, produced by Edwin Dann & Son of  Redhill, Surrey. (c1907). An earlier portrait of the same man is shown on the left.

 

Cabinet Portraits by Edwin Dann & Son

[ABOVE] The trade plate of Edwin Dann & Son of 83 Brighton Road, Redhill, Surrey as shown on the reverse of a cabinet card photograph illustrated on the right (c1898). [ABOVE] A vignette portrait of a young woman, a cabinet card photograph produced by Edwin Dann & Son of 83 Brighton Road, Redhill, Surrey (c1898).

[ABOVE] A vignette portrait of a young man wearing eye-glasses, a cabinet card photograph produced by Edwin Dann & Son of 83A Brighton Road, Redhill, Surrey (c1905). [ABOVE] The trade plate of Edwin Dann & Son of 83A Brighton Road, Redhill, Surrey as shown on the reverse of the cabinet card photograph illustrated on the left (c1905).

Click here to return to home page

A selection of carte-de-visite and cabinet portraits taken at the studio of Edwin Dann & Son at 83 Brighton Road, Redhill can be viewed in the Victorian Carte de Visite section of Alan Moore's website The History of Redhill and Reigate by clicking on the link below:

The History of Redhill and Reigate: Victorian Cartes-de-visite