William Hall - Brighton Photographer (1)
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William Hall (born c1826, Roxburghshire, Scotland) - Brighton Photographer |
Active as a Photographer in Brighton between 1854 and 1898 |
William Hall (Part 1): Daguerreotype and Talbotype Artist and Photographer [1854-1863] |
William Hall originated from Scotland. William Hall was, according to his own account, born in the Scottish county of Roxburghshire around 1826. [ In the 1891 census, William Hall gives his place of birth as Selkirk, a Scottish town located in a neighbouring county ]. When he was in his twenties, William Hall moved to England, where, around 1853, he married his wife Eliza (born c1826, Portsmouth, Hampshire). The couple settled in the Sussex seaside resort of Brighton, where, during the 4th Quarter of 1854, their first child, Eliza, was born. William Hall had probably moved to Brighton to enter into a business partnership with Stephen Grey (1822-1891) a portrait painter and photographer. By July 1854, the firm of Grey & Hall had established a 'Photographic Institution' at 13 St James' Street, Brighton. In an advertisement dated 13th July 1854, Grey & Hall announced the opening of their "General Photographic Institution", where they made photographic portraits "by all the most recent and improved processes, by License of the Patentees". [Notice on page 4 of the Brighton Gazette, 3rd August 1854]. An advertisement for Grey & Hall's General Photographic Institution in the Brighton Gazette of 3rd August 1854 reads as follows :
Grey & Hall's General Photographic Institution was unusual in that the photographers offered to take portraits using all three of the available photographic processes. - Daguerreotype, Talbotype and Collodion Positive. The patent on the daguerreotype, a positive image on a silver-coated copper plate, had come to an end on 14th August, 1853, and so, strictly speaking, Grey & Hall did not need to hold a licence for this particular method of photography. The Talbotype was a positive print on paper made from a negative using William Henry Fox Talbot's calotype process, which the inventor had patented in 1841. Professional photographers who wished to produce Talbotype portraits were required to purchase a licence from William Henry Fox Talbot. In 1851, Frederick Scott Archer had invented a photographic process which involved coating a glass plate with a sticky substance called collodion. Archer had chosen not to patent his invention, but as the collodion process involved making photographs from a negative, Talbot claimed that the process was covered by his earlier patent. The Collodion Positive was a method by which an underexposed collodion glass negative was placed against a black background to give the appearance of a positive photograph. As William Henry Fox Talbot had recently started legal action against photographers who were using the collodion process, alleging they were infringing his patent rights, Grey and Hall decided to purchase a licence from Talbot so that they were free to produce both Talbotype portraits and 'collodion positives.' By 1854, there were only nine photographic studios in England holding licences from William Henry Fox Talbot and two of these were located in Brighton - Hennah & Kent's Talbotype Portrait Gallery at 108 King's Road and Grey & Hall's General Photographic Institution at 13 St James's Street. Grey & Hall's Photographic Institution was located at 13 St James Street, in the eastern part of Brighton called Kemp Town. St James Street led to the Old Steine and ran parallel to Marine Parade on the eastern seafront and so was reasonably well located for visitors to the seaside town. Folthorp's Directory for Brighton, which was compiled in September 1854, lists the business premises of Grey & Hall at 13 St James's Street, but within a month the two photographers had opened a second studio in the Old Steine.In October 1854, Grey & Hall publicized a second studio at 18 Old Steine, but this branch studio was only in business for a short time. The partnership of Grey & Hall was dissolved on 25th November 1858. William Hall retained the studio at 13 St. James's Street and his former partner Stephen Grey established a separate studio of his own.
During his business association with the photographer Stephen Grey, which lasted for over 4 years, William Hall had fathered two more children. William Hall junior was born in Brighton towards the end of 1856 and his brother James Hall was born in Brighton during the 2nd Quarter of 1858. William and Eliza Hall's fourth child, Christiana (or Christina) Hall was born in Brighton during the 4th Quarter of 1859.
When the census was taken on 7th April 1861, William Hall and his family were recorded in the living quarters attached to his photographic studio at 13 St James's Street, Brighton. [ According to early advertisements, William Hall's studio in St James's Street was a spacious "glass-room"]. On the 1861 census return, William Hall is described as a thirty-four year old "Photographic Artist". The following year, William Hall acquired business premises at 21 North Street, Brighton, a building situated next to Lady Huntingdon's Chapel. The building at 21 North Street had previously been used as a lace and linen warehouse, but Hall successfully converted it into a photographic portrait studio. For a short period, William Hall operated the studios at 13 St James's Street and 21 North Street in tandem, but around 1863, he sold his studio in Kemp Town to the artist and photographer Richard Jeffray. From 1863, William Hall worked solely from his studio at 21 North Street, Brighton. By the early 1860s, William Hall was mainly producing small carte-de-visite portraits at his photographic studio. [See examples from William Hall's St James Street studio below]. William Hall charged 12 shillings for a dozen carte-de-visite portraits.
PHOTO: Brighton Royal Pavilion and Museums |
[ABOVE] The trade plate of Grey & Hall of 13 St. James Street, Brighton, which was stamped on the leather case of the collodion positive photograph shown below. [PHOTO: Courtesy of Richard Meara] [ABOVE] Portrait of a young woman holding a pet bird, a collodion positive (ambrotype) by Grey & Hall's Photographic Institution, 13 St. James Street, Brighton (c1858). [PHOTO: Courtesy of Richard Meara]
[ABOVE] The trade plate of William Hall, photographer of 21 North Street, Brighton (c1865). William Hall operated the studio at 21 North Street for over 10 years, between 1863 and 1874. |
A Coloured Collodion Positive Portrait of Two Young Girls by Grey & Hall of Brighton (c1855) |
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William Hall (Part 2): Carte-de-visite Photographer and Studio Proprietor [1863-1875]
William Hall became the sole proprietor of the photographic
portrait studio at 13 St James Street, Brighton at the end of
November 1858. For a few years, William Hall was producing collodion
positive portraits on glass and albumen prints on paper. Hall's albumen
paper prints were larger than his portraits on glass, probably measuring 6
inches by 8 inches. During the early 1860s, a recently introduced format for
portrait photography known as the carte-de-visite became increasingly
popular and supplanted the larger albumen prints. The carte-de-visite
was a small photographic print pasted on a card measuring approximately 2
1/2 inches by
4 1/4
inches ( 6.3 cm by 10.5 cm), the same size as a conventional visiting card.
A French invention, these small photographic portraits came to be known as
cartes-de-visite (the French term for "visiting cards").
[ABOVE] The trade plate used by the photographer William Hall in 1862 The great demand for carte-de-visite portraits led to an increase in the number of photographic portrait studios in Brighton. When Folthorp's General Directory of Brighton was published in 1862, eighteen studios were listed under the heading of "Photographic and Talbotype Artists". By the time Folthorp's directory of 1864 was published, William Hall's new premises at 21 North Street, Brighton, was one of nearly thirty photographic studios listed. Competition for business was fierce, driving down the price of carte-de-visite portraits. Early in 1862 William Hall was charging 12 shillings for a dozen carte-de-visite portraits. Stephen Grey, Hall's former business partner, charged one shilling for a single carte-de-visite portrait, but a dozen copies could be had for 5 shillings. A high class establishment, such as Mayall's Photographic Portrait Studio at 90-91 King's Road, Brighton, charged £1. 1s. for a set of 12 carte-de-visite portraits. In 1875, shortly after opening his photographic portrait studio at 80 West Street, Brighton, Hall advertised his new scale of prices. In 1875, William Hall charged one shilling for single copy of a carte-de-visite portrait, but he was now offering 6 copies for 4 shillings and 12 copies for 6 shillings. By 1871, William Hall had been in business in Brighton as a professional photographer for a period of 17 years. The 1871 census records William Hall as the owner of a photographic firm employing 9 workers (three men, four women, and two boys). At this time, in addition to his main photographic studio at 21 North Street, Brighton, William Hall was operating a photographic booth or kiosk on Brighton's West Pier. William Hall closed down his operations in North Street and the West Pier when he established a new photographic portrait studio at 80 West Street, Brighton, around 1874. |
[ABOVE] Photographic portrait studios operated by William Hall and his son between 1858 and 1899.
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1871 CENSUS: 4 Clermont Road, Preston, Brighton |
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NAME |
|
AGE |
OCCUPATION |
WHERE BORN |
William Hall |
Head |
44 |
Photographer - Employing 3 men, 4 women, and 2 boys |
Scotland |
Eliza Hall |
wife |
44 | Kingston, Hampshire | |
Eliza Hall | daughter | 16 |
Shop Assistant |
Brighton, Sussex |
William Hall |
son |
14 |
Scholar |
Brighton, Sussex |
James Hall |
son |
12 | Scholar | Brighton, Sussex |
Christina Hall |
daughter |
11 | Scholar | Brighton, Sussex |
Charles Hall |
son |
8 | Scholar | Brighton, Sussex |
John Hall |
son |
6 | Scholar | Brighton, Sussex |
Henry Hall |
son |
5 | Scholar | Brighton, Sussex |
Kate Hall |
daughter |
2 | Brighton, Sussex | |
Jane Collins |
servant |
Domestic Servant |
Southsea, Hampshire |
[ABOVE] The Brighton photographer William Hall and his family recorded in the 1871 census. |
Carte-de-visite photographic portraits by William Hall of 13 St James' Street, Brighton |
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[ABOVE] A carte-de-visite portrait of an unknown boy, photographed by William Hall of 13 St. James' Street, Brighton (c1862). William Hall's trade plate appears beneath the portrait. | [ABOVE] A carte-de-visite portrait of an unknown girl, photographed by William Hall of 13 St. James' Street, Brighton (c1862). William Hall's studio details "W. Hall, 13 St James Street, Brighton" are printed on the reverse. | [ABOVE] A carte-de-visite portrait of Mrs Ann Maude Barrow (1790-1875), photographed by William Hall of 13 St. James' Street, Brighton (c1862). Ann Maude Boys had married Rev. Francis Barrow of Margate. | [ABOVE] A carte-de-visite portrait of a woman leaning on a chair, photographed by William Hall of 13 St. James' Street, Brighton (c1862). | ||
[ABOVE] A carte-de-visite portrait of a young couple, photographed by William Hall of 13 St. James' Street, Brighton (c1862). | [ABOVE] A carte-de-visite portrait of a bearded man in check trousers, photographed by William Hall of 13 St. James' Street, Brighton (c1862). | [ABOVE] A carte-de-visite portrait of a woman holding a letter, photographed by William Hall of 13 St. James' Street, Brighton (c1862). | [ABOVE] A carte-de-visite portrait of a woman holding a hat, photographed by William Hall of 13 St. James' Street, Brighton (c1862). |
Carte-de-visite Portraits of Eminent Ministers photographed by William Hall of 13 St James' Street, Brighton |
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[ABOVE] An advertisement for William Hall's carte-de-visite portraits of eminent church ministers. (The Brighton Gazette, Thursday, 27th February 1862). William Hall of 13 St. James' Street, Brighton, produced a number of portraits depicting well-known clergymen, generally regarded as celebrities in Victorian times. Achieving recognition for their preaching and good works, church ministers were regarded as "local celebrities" and their photographic likenesses were collected alongside other notable figures such as artists and politicians. | [ABOVE] Reverend James Vaughan (born c1805), the Perpetual Curate of Christ Church, Montpelier Road, Brighton, a carte-de-visite by William Hall of 13 St. James' Street, Brighton and 21 North Street, Brighton (c1863). Reverend Vaughan was famous for his sermons. | [ABOVE] A carte-de-visite portrait of a seated man, possibly a church minister, photographed by William Hall of 13 St. James' Street, Brighton and 21 North Street, Brighton (c1863). Hall produced a series of portraits depicting eminent church ministers. |
Celebrity Cartes and Works of Art |
In addition to having their own portrait taken in carte-de-visite format, some inhabitants of Brighton would collect cartes which featured portraits of national figures or local celebrities. Bookshops, stationers and art repositories would stock photographic portraits of famous men and women (novelists, artists, politicians, singers, actors and actresses, etc.). William Hall was one of the first photographers in Brighton to promote "celebrity cartes". In a newspaper advertisement dated 27th February 1862, William Hall offered to the public carte-de-visite portraits of "Eminent Ministers - taken from life". In his advertisement, Hall listed 20 church ministers who were depicted in his carte-de-visite portraits, including the Reverend T. Trocke of Chapel Royal and Reverend J. L. Knowles of St Peter's Church. Around 1874, William Hall was selling signed portraits of 'Captain' Frederick Collins, the proprietor of the Brighton pleasure yacht the "Skylark". William Hall was also known to photograph oil paintings and other works of art and sell the reproductions in the form of cartes-de-visite and cabinet cards. In 1877, William Hall produced a carte-de-visite which carried a photographic reproduction of a painting depicting the wreck of the Ida, a barque from Glasgow which got into trouble off the coast of Brighton at the beginning of that year.
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Carte-de-visite photographs by William Hall of 21 North Street, Brighton (1863-1874) |
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[ABOVE] A carte-de-visite portrait of a middle-aged woman sitting at a table with her arm resting on a book, photographed by William Hall either at 21 North Street, Brighton or 13 St James's Street, Brighton (c1863). | [ABOVE] The trade plate of the photographer William Hall which appeared on the reverse of the carte-de-visite illustrated on the left (c1863). At this time William Hall was operating from 13 St. James's Street and 21 North Street, Brighton. | [ABOVE] A carte-de-visite portrait of twenty-one year old Mrs Phoebe Cresswell (born 1847) and her baby daughter Phoebe Emily Cresswell (born 1868, Brighton) photographed by William Hall of 21 North Street, Brighton (c1868). | [ABOVE] A carte-de-visite portrait of teenage girl standing at an elaborately decorated writing desk, photographed by William Hall of 21 North Street, Brighton (c1870). |
[ABOVE] A carte-de-visite portrait of a middle-aged woman standing by a padded chair, photographed by William Hall of 21 North Street, Brighton (c1868). The reverse of the carte is blank, the photographer's details being printed at the foot of portrait. | [ABOVE] A carte-de-visite portrait of teenage girl posed between a chair and a writing desk, photographed by William Hall of 21 North Street, Brighton (c1864). The trade plate on the reverse of the carte is of the same design as above but states "Late of St. James Street". | [ABOVE] The trade plate of William Hall, photographer of 21 North Street, Brighton (c1865). The trade plate employs an engraving of the Royal Pavilion which was situated a short distance from Hall's studio on the other side of North Street. | [ABOVE] A carte-de-visite portrait of a young couple, photographed by William Hall of 21 North Street, Brighton (c1865). On the reverse of this photograph is a printed trade plate incorporating a printed view of the Royal Pavilion. (See the illustration on the left). |
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Diamond Cameo Convex Portraits by William Hall of 21 North Street, Brighton (1864-1872)
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[ABOVE] A Diamond Cameo Portrait of a young woman, produced by William Hall of 21 North Street, Brighton (c1866). All four of the small portraits have been punched out into a convex-shape. | [ABOVE] A Diamond Cameo Portrait of a young woman, produced by William Hall of 21 North Street, Brighton (c1865). On the reverse of this carte-de-visite is Window & Bridge's registered trade mark for the Diamond Cameo Portrait | [ABOVE] A Diamond Cameo Portrait of a young man, produced by William Hall of 21 North Street, Brighton (c1865). On the reverse of this carte-de-visite is Window & Bridge's registered trade mark for the Diamond Cameo Portrait | [ABOVE] A Diamond Cameo Portrait of a young man, produced by William Hall of 21 North Street, Brighton (c1867). All four of the small portraits have been punched out into a convex-shape. |
William Hall - Photographer on Brighton's West Pier (1870-1873) The West Pier was constructed on Brighton's seafront between 1864 and 1866. The West Pier was opened to the public on 6th October,1866. At the beginning, there was an admission charge of 2d (two old pence), reduced to one penny on Sunday. The price of admission was collected at two large, square-shaped toll houses situated at the entrance to the Pier. These two toll houses were large enough to accommodate shops which sold gifts, sweets and souvenirs to those that visited the Pier. On the pier itself there were six ornamental kiosks which contained toy and fancy goods bazaars, refreshment rooms, etc. There was also an open bandstand at the pier head. Between 1870 and 1873, William Hall was operating a photographic booth on the West Pier as well as a well-equipped photographic studio at 21 North Street, Brighton. It is not clear where William Hall stationed his camera on the West Pier, but I assume Hall or one of his employees operated from one of the six ornamental kiosks on the pier's promenade or was based in one of the toll houses at the entrance. The carte-de-visite portraits produced at Hall's West Pier booth are distinct from the formal portraits taken at Hall's main photographic studio in North Street. Whereas the portraits taken in Hall's North Street premises contain the usual studio props - furniture, drapes, books, painted backcloth, etc., his West Pier portraits are more stark with plain backgrounds with only a collection of fake rocks and boulders to suggest a seaside setting. For the select and fashionable visitors who had paid an entrance fee to promenade along the 1,115 feet long pier, Hall's photographic booth might have seemed a novelty, but probably did not appeal to their sophisticated taste. It is possibly significant that the few examples of Hall's West Pier portraits in my own collection feature teenagers and young women. If the West Pier was not so exclusive in the early 1870s and was free to all, Hall's photo booth might have attracted more customers. William Hall closed his West Pier studio after a couple of years. Hall was succeeded on the West Pier in 1873 by the photographer Robert James Parnell (born 1841, St Pancras, London), but he too struggled for custom and he was gone within the year. It would be another 20 years before another photographer based himself on Brighton's West Pier. [The German photographer William H. Schwartz (born c1868, France) operated a studio on the West Pier between 1895 and 1915].
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Carte-de-visite photographs by William Hall of West Pier, Brighton |
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[ABOVE] A carte-de-visite portrait of a young woman posing in front of a group of rocks, a studio prop which suggested the seaside at William Hall's studio on Brighton's West Pier (c1871). | [ABOVE] A young woman leaning against a collection of rocks at William Hall's studio on Brighton's West Pier (c1871). The rocks, which were probably made from papier-mache or similar material, evoked the seaside. | [ABOVE] The trade plate which appeared on the reverse of the carte-de-visite illustrated on the left. William Hall gives details of his main studio at 21 North Street, Brighton as well as his modest studio booth on Brighton's West Pier. |
William Hall & Son, Photographers of 80 West Street, Brighton |
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[ABOVE] West Street, Brighton, looking north from the seafront, photographed in the late 1880s from the junction with South Street and King's Road.. The entrance to the studio of William Hall & Son at 80 West Street (marked by a striped awning carrying the words "W. HALL & SON, PHOTOGRAPHERS") can be seen on the eastern side of the road, immediately below the painted wall sign for the Grand Skating Rink (No.78) and immediately to the left of Chatfield's Hotel (No. 81 West Street). |
[ABOVE] Detail of the photograph of West Street, Brighton, illustrated on the left, showing the entrance to the studio of William Hall & Son (marked by a striped awning carrying the words "W. HALL & SON, PHOTOGRAPHERS". To the right of Hall's studio is Chatfield's Hotel (No. 81 West Street). |
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[ABOVE] West Street, Brighton, looking north, photographed around 1905. By this date William Hall's studio at 80 West Street had closed and had been absorbed by Chatfield's Hotel (the building on the extreme right, immediately before the advertising banner which juts out above the pavement). The projected sign reads "ANIMATED PHOTOGRAPHS", and marks the entrance to The Grand Concert Hall which showed moving pictures even before its conversion into the Grand Picture Palace in 1911. On the other side of the road stands the tower of St Paul's Parish Church. |
1881 Census: 80 West Street, Brighton | ||||
NAME | AGE |
OCCUPATION |
PLACE OF BIRTH |
|
William Hall |
Head |
55 |
Photographer and Manufacturer of Photo. Materials |
Selkirk, Scotland |
Eliza Hall | wife | 55 |
Portsmouth, Hampshire |
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Eliza Hall | daughter | 26 | Artist | Brighton, Sussex |
Christina Hall | daughter | 21 | Brighton, Sussex | |
Charles Hall | son | 18 | Photographer's Assistant | Brighton, Sussex |
John Hall |
son | 16 | Cabinet Maker's Apprentice | Brighton, Sussex |
Henry Hall |
son | 15 | Photographer's Apprentice | Brighton, Sussex |
Jane Hall |
daughter | 12 | Scholar | Brighton, Sussex |
1881 Census: 2 College Gardens, Brighton |
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NAME |
OCCUPATION |
PLACE OF BIRTH |
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William Hall | Lodger |
24 |
Photographer |
Brighton, Sussex |
[ABOVE] The Brighton photographer William Hall and his family recorded in the 1881 census. In 1881, three of William Hall's children were assisting him in his photographic studio. Hall's eldest son, William Hall junior, also a photographer, was lodging with a coach builder named William Jordan at a house in Brighton's Kemp Town. |
Carte-de-visite photographs by William Hall and Hall & Son of 80 West Street, Brighton |
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[ABOVE] A young woman leaning on an occasional table, photographed at William Hall's studio at 80 West Street, Brighton (c1875). | [ABOVE] William Hall's scale of charges for carte-de-visite and cabinet portraits, as printed on the reverse of a carte-de-visite produced around 1875 at Hall's studio in Brighton's West Street. | [ABOVE] One of a pair of carte-de-visite portraits produced around 1878 at William Hall's studio at 80 West Street, Brighton. This portrait of a woman is a companion piece to the cdv of the bearded man (right) | [ABOVE] A carte-de-visite portrait of a heavily bearded man, presumably the husband of the lady pictured on the left. Both portraits were produced around 1878 at William Hall's studio at 80 West Street, Brighton. |
[ABOVE] A carte-de-visite portrait of a young woman holding a document, photographed by Hall & Son of 80 West Street, Brighton (c1886). | [ABOVE] A carte-de-visite portrait of a girl wearing a bonnet and holding a flower basket photographed by Hall & Son of 80 West Street, Brighton (c1886). | [ABOVE] The trade plate of Hall & Son, photographers of 80 West Street, Brighton (c1886). | [ABOVE] A carte-de-visite portrait of a young man in an oval frame, photographed by Hall & Son of 80 West Street, Brighton (c1888). |
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William Hall's Studios in Brighton and Lewes between 1874 and 1898 |
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William HALL | 80 West Street, BRIGHTON |
1874-1886 |
William HALL & SON | 34 Lansdown Place, LEWES |
1887-1890 |
William HALL & SON | 80 West Street, BRIGHTON |
1887-1895 |
William HALL | 80 West Street, BRIGHTON |
1896-1898 |
[ABOVE] The studio premises at 34 Lansdown Place, Lewes, which was situated next to the Lansdown Arms public house and was occupied by the photography firm of William Hall & Son for a few years between 1886 and 1890. When this photograph was taken around 1910 the business went under the name of A. M. Bliss & Co. After operating as a professional photographer in Brighton for over 30 years, William Hall opened a branch studio in Lewes around 1887. William Hall sold his studio at 34 Lansdown Place to Alfred March Bliss in 1890. |
William Hall & Son's branch studio in Lewes Around 1886, William Hall brought his son William Hall junior (born 1856, Brighton) into his photography business. Shortly after the partnership between father and son was formed, a branch studio was opened in Lewes. The studio premises of Hall & Son at 34 Lansdown Place, Lewes, was next door to the Lansdown Arms public house at the junction of Station Street and Station Road and therefore close to Lewes Railway Station. It is likely that the Lewes branch of Hall & Son was managed by William Hall junior, William Hall's eldest son. William Hall junior was born in Brighton towards the end of 1856 and appears to have assisted his father in his Brighton studio as a teenager. By 1881, William Hall junior was working as a professional photographer in Brighton. The carte-de-visite and cabinet portraits produced at 34 Lansdown Place, Lewes, generally carry the Lewes address and, at the foot of the photograph, the printed words "LEWES and at BRIGHTON". In 1890, after 3 or 4 years in Lewes, the firm of Hall & Son sold their studio at 34 Lansdown Place, Lewes, to Alfred March Bliss (born 1861, Cardiff, Wales).
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Carte-de-visite photographs by William Hall and Hall & Son of 80 West Street, Brighton and 34 Lansdown Place, Lewes |
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[ABOVE] A carte-de-visite portrait of a woman holding a book, photographed by Hall & Son of 80 West Street, Brighton and Lewes (c1888). | [ABOVE] A carte-de-visite portrait of a young woman leaning on a table, photographed by Hall & Son of 80 West Street, Brighton and Lewes (c1888). | [ABOVE] The trade plate of Hall & Son, photographers of 80 West Street, Brighton and Lewes taken from the reverse of a carte-de-visite portrait (c1888). | [ABOVE] A carte-de-visite portrait of a young girl holding an artificial flower, photographed by Hall & Son of 80 West Street, Brighton and Lewes (c1890). |
[ABOVE] A carte-de-visite portrait of a young girl leaning on the back of a chair, photographed by Hall & Son of 34 Lansdown Place, Lewes (c1888). | [LEFT] The trade plate used by William Hall & Son on the reverse of the photographs produced at their branch studio at 34 Lansdown Place, Lewes (c1888) | [ABOVE] A carte-de-visite portrait of a young woman, photographed by Hall & Son of 34 Lansdown Place, Lewes. (c1889). | [ABOVE] A carte-de-visite portrait of a middle-aged woman, photographed by Hall & Son of 34 Lansdown Place, Lewes. (c1889) |
William Hall's Studios in Brighton and Lewes between 1874 and 1898 |
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William HALL | 80 West Street, BRIGHTON |
1874-1886 |
William HALL & SON | 34 Lansdown Place, LEWES |
1887-1890 |
William HALL & SON | 80 West Street, BRIGHTON |
1887-1895 |
William HALL | 80 West Street, BRIGHTON |
1896-1898 |
[ABOVE] A carte-de-visite portrait of a teenage girl standing by padded chair, photographed at the studio of William Hall & Son, 80 West Street, Brighton (c1890). | [ABOVE] A carte-de-visite portrait of a young woman standing behind a plant, photographed at the studio of William Hall & Son, 80 West Street, Brighton (c1890). | [ABOVE] A carte-de-visite portrait of a middle-aged woman, photographed at the studio of William Hall, 80 West Street, Brighton (c1898). | [ABOVE] A carte-de-visite portrait of a young child sitting on an animal fur, photographed at the studio of William Hall & Son, 80 West Street, Brighton (c1897). |
William Hall and
William Hall junior after 1890 When the 1891 census was taken, William Hall was living with his wife and two unmarried daughters in quarters attached to his studio at 80 West Street, Brighton. On the census return, William Hall is described as an "Artist & Photographer", aged 65. William Hall's eldest daughter, thirty-six year old Eliza Hall, gives her occupation as "Artist Photographer". William's other daughter, Christina Hall is recorded on the census return as a "Photographer's Assistant", aged 31. The photographic studio at 80 West Street, Brighton, continued under the name of "William Hall" until around 1898. William Hall is last listed as a professional photographer in Brighton in the 1898 edition of Towner's Directory of Brighton. (In 1898, William Hall would have been 72 years old). William Hall set himself up as a professional photographer in Brighton in 1854 and he was still listed as a professional photographer in Brighton some 44 years later, making Hall one of the longest serving photographers in Brighton's history. Towards the end of 1881, William Hall junior, William Hall's son, married Kate Peirce (born 1857, Brighton). By the time the census was taken on 31st March 1901, William Hall junior was working as a "Photographer" in Fulham. William Hall junior was not the proprietor of a studio in 1901 and on the census return he makes it clear that he was an employed photographer, giving his status as "Worker". In 1901, William Hall was living with his wife, Kate, at 65 Radipole Road, Fulham. When the next census was taken 10 years later, William Hall junior's situation had changed in only one respect. William Hall, now 54 years of age, was still living at 65 Radipole Road, Fulham and still gave his occupation as "Photographer (worker)", however, Hall and his wife were now parents of a 9 year old boy, Maurice Walter Hall. |
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To view a gallery of photographic portraits taken at the studios of William Hall and William Hall & Son, click on the link below: |
Carte-de-Visite and Cabinet Portraits by William Hall of Brighton |