Hastings: USA Studios
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U. S. A. Studios - London & Provinces |
Hastings branch of U.S.A. Studios at 1, 3 & 5 Palace Avenue, Hastings |
Founder of U.S.A. Studios: John Harry Woolfe (1880-1942). |
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"U.S.A.
Studios" was the name of a firm of portrait photographers which was
set up in England during the Edwardian period. It appears that the firm U.S.A. Studios (also known as the American Photographic
Company) was established around 1907, either by the photographer
John Harry Woolfe (born 1880, Dresden, Stoke on Trent, Staffordshire)
or by his parents, Henry Wolfe (1852-1927) and Mrs Fanny Wolfe
(born 1854). The firm of U.S.A. Studios was particularly successful
during the First World War period, operating branches in London,
Portsmouth, Chatham, Reading, Hastings and Birmingham. U.S.A. Studios
was managed by members of the Woolfe family right up until the Second
World War. After the death of
John Harry Woolfe in 1942, U.S.A. Studios continued to operate
in the Portsmouth area until at least 1969. John Harry Woolfe was the eldest son of Fanny Adie (born 1854, Longton, Staffs.) and Henry Woolfe (born 1852, Yarlet, Staffs.), a shopkeeper who later became a mechanical engineer and a maker of "automatic machines". Henry Woolfe had married Fanny Adie in the Staffordshire district of Stone during the 3rd Quarter of 1877. The couple's first child, John Harry Woolfe was born a few years later in 1880. [The birth of John Harry Woolfe was registered in the Staffordshire district of Stone during the 2nd Quarter of 1880].John Harry Woolfe had a younger brother named William Swift Woolfe (born 1893, Poulton-cum-Seacombe, Cheshire) who also became a professional photographer. When the census was taken on 3rd April 1881, Henry Woolfe and his family were living in Broughton in Salford, Lancashire. The Woolfe Family are recorded at 8 Melbourne Street, Broughton-in-Salford, Lancashire, and on the census return Henry Woolfe, the 'Head of Household', is described as a twenty-nine year old "Storekeeper". In addition to his wife Mrs Fanny Woolfe and their one year old son John H. Woolfe, Henry shared his home with his wife's younger brother John F. Adie, a 15 year old "commercial clerk" and two lodgers. Slater's Street Directory of Manchester & Salford, published in 1883, lists Henry Woolfe as a "Storekeeper" at 2 Grosvenor Square, Lower Broughton. By the early 1890s, Henry Woolfe was living in Birkenhead, near Liverpool, and was working as a mechanical engineer. The 1901 census records Henry Woolfe and his family at an address in Poulton-cum-Seacombe, Cheshire. On the 1901 census return Henry Woolfe is described as a forty-nine year old "Automatic Machine Maker", being assisted in his business by his twenty-one year old son, John H. Woolfe. Kelly's Directory of Cheshire of 1902 records the Woolfe's family residence as 94 Brighton Street, Seacombe, Cheshire. Sometime in the early
1900s, John
Harry Woolfe became
a professional photographer.
John H. Woolfe took over a long-established photographic portrait
studio at 34
Upper Street, Islington,
London around
1907. This
date seems to mark the birth of U.S.A. Studios. It appears that members of John Harry Woolfe's family helped him manage the various branches of U.S.A. Studios. John Woolfe's mother, Mrs Fanny Woolfe, is sometimes listed as the proprietor of the U.S.A. photographic studios situated in the outlying London suburbs. When the 1911 census was taken on 2nd April 1911, John Harry Woolfe's parents and younger brother were living in accommodation attached to the U.S.A. studio at 268 Holloway Road, Islington, North London. John Harry Woolfe's younger brother, William Swift Woolfe (born 1893, Poulton-cum-Seacombe, Cheshire) is described on the 1911 census as a 17 year old "Photographer" living with his parents Henry and Fanny Woolfe at 268 Holloway Road, Islington, London. From around 1914, London trade directories list Mrs Fanny Woolfe (John H. Woolfe's mother) as a "Photographer" at several London branches of U.S.A. Studios [e.g. 427 Brixton Road, Brixton (1914), 18a Rye Lane, Peckham (1914-1919), 29 Powis Street, Woolwich (1914-1919) ] Although U.S.A. Studios
were based mainly in London for the first few years, by 1910, the
firm had branch studios in Portsmouth, Chatham, Reading,
Ipswich and Norwich. From the beginning of the First World
War, U.S.A. Studios were advertising "London & Provinces"
on their photographic mounts. By 1914, John Harry Woolfe was
operating over a dozen studios in London and the London suburbs as well as
in the provincial towns of Portsmouth, Chatham and
Birmingham. During 1915 U.S.A. Studios continued in the Portsmouth area until at least the end of the 1960s. The 1969 edition of Kelly's Directory of Portsmouth, lists USA Studios in Fratton Road, Portsmouth. |
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U. S. A. Studios - Long Card Portrait Photographs |
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[ABOVE] A portrait of a young girl wearing a smart coat and matching hat, photographed at the Westbourne Grove branch of U.S.A. Studios around 1910. This photograph was taken at the studio at 25 Westbourne Grove, London, W. | [ABOVE] A portrait of a teenage girl wearing spectacles, photographed at the Woolwich branch of U.S.A. Studios in 1911. This photograph was taken at the studio at 29 Powis Street, Woolwich, in June 1911. (Photo Reference: 2,465/2 - viz. Negative No. 2,465 / Copy 2). The reverse of the card is inscribed in ink "June, '11". | [ABOVE] A portrait of a middle-aged woman wearing a locket and chain, photographed at the Portsmouth branch of U.S.A. Studios in 1915. This photograph was taken at the studio at 193 Commercial Road, Portsmouth (Photo Reference: 506 /4 - viz. Negative No. 506 / Copy 4). |
Listings of U.S.A. Studios in London and the Provinces |
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[ABOVE] The London and Provincial branches of U.S.A. Studios listed on the reverse of a photographic mount produced around 1910. | [ABOVE] The London and Provincial branches of U.S.A. Studios listed on the reverse of a photographic mount produced in 1911.. | [ABOVE] The London and Provincial branches of U.S.A. Studios listed on the reverse of a photographic mount produced around 1915. |
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U. S. A. Studios - Rectangular Card Portrait Photographs |
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[ABOVE] The London and Provincial branches of U.S.A. Studios listed on the reverse of a photographic mount produced in 1914 or 1915. The branch studio at 1, 3, & 5 Palace Avenue, Hastings was in business between 1914 and 1915. | [ABOVE] A portrait of two boys, identified as "Cyril & Harold", photographed at the Holloway branch of U.S.A. Studios around 1915. This photograph was taken at the studio at 266-268 Holloway Road, London, N. | [ABOVE] A portrait of a middle-aged woman wearing a necklace and drop ear-rings, photographed at the Edgware branch of U.S.A. Studios around 1915. This photograph was taken at the studio at 222 Edgware Road, London, W. (Negative No. 44,644). |
U. S. A. Studios - Large Long Card Portrait Photograph |
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[ABOVE] A large format studio portrait of a family photographed at the Edgware branch of U.S.A. Studios around 1911. This photograph was taken at the studio at 212 Edgware Road, London, W. | [ABOVE] The reverse of the large format studio portrait opposite, listing over a dozen branches of U.S.A. Studios in London and the Provinces (c1911). |
Post Card Portraits produced at branches of U.S.A. Studios |
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[ABOVE] A U.S.A. Studios post-card portrait of two women with a young child (1911). The reverse of the card is inscribed in ink "Taken Nov. 1911". | [ABOVE] A U.S.A. Studios post-card portrait of a married couple (c1914). The reverse of the card is inscribed "Love to Aunt Sara from George & Daisy" | [ABOVE] A U.S.A. Studios post-card portrait of a woman wearing a wide-brimmed hat,(1916). The reverse of the card is inscribed "With love & Best wishes from Gertie, 26/12/16" |
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[ABOVE] The reverse of U.S.A. Studios post-card portrait dated 1911. The distinctive American shield design printed in the stamp box was used on U.S.A. Studios postcards between 1907 and 1911. | [ABOVE] A U.S.A. Studios post-card portrait of a group of soldiers (c1916). A negative number of 35,542 is pencilled on the reverse of the post-card. |
[ABOVE] The reverse of U.S.A. Studios post-card portrait dating from around 1914. The distinctive stamp- box with the "American eagle and shield" design shown here was used on U.S.A. Studios postcards between 1912 and 1915. |
[ABOVE] The reverse of U.S.A. Studios post-card portrait dating from around 1916. The American eagle and shield design of the stamp-box has been replaced by a stylised monogram of the company's initials, 'U', 'S' and 'A'. |
[ABOVE] The embossed "American Eagle" emblem which appeared on the photographic card mounts produced by U.S.A. Studios between 1909 and 1915. | [ABOVE] The "American stars & stripes shield" stamp-box design used on U.S.A. Studios postcards (1907-1911) | [ABOVE] The "American eagle and shield" stamp- box design used on U.S.A. Studios postcards (1912-1915) | [ABOVE] The "Stylised Monogram" stamp-box design used on U.S.A. Studios postcards (1916-1918) |
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[ABOVE] A U.S.A. Studios post-card portrait of Mildred Gray
Bunting, the daughter of Mary and Walter Gray Bunting, a tobacconist
based in Bracknell, Berkshire.
Mildred Gray Bunting was born on 5th September 1910 at Bracknell
in the Berkshire district of
Easthampstead.
Mildred was probably photographed at the Reading branch of U.S.A.
Studios around 1915. PHOTO: Courtesy of Christine Coles |
[ABOVE] A U.S.A. Studios post-card portrait of a young man with a fancy walking-stick (c1916). A negative number of 69,939 is pencilled on the reverse of the post-card. Post-card portraits produced by U.S.A. Studios between 1907 and 1918 can be approximately dated by observing the distinctive designs and type- faces printed on the reverse of the photographic portraits. Three versions of the stamp-box designs are illustrated above, each design representing a specific period of years. The reverse of this particular post-card portrait carries the stylised USA monogram in the stamp-box, which indicates a date from around 1916. |
Cased Porcelain Plaque Photograph by U.S.A. Studios of London & Provinces (1915) |
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Acknowledgements |
Thanks to Christine Coles who provided the U.S. A. Studios portrait of her mother, Mildred Gray Bunting (born 1910, Bracknell, Berkshire). I am grateful to David who contacted me to point out that the photograph references pencilled on the reverse of some of the portraits produced at branches of USA Studios comprise the negative number and the number of the edition or copy of the original photograph. For instance, the photograph reference 506/4 refers to the negative number (No. 506) and the edition or copy of the print (number.4) or, in David's words, the reference "506/4" pencilled on the back of the photographic card mount "is meant as negative number 506 and 4-off (thus an edition of 4 photos/cards)". In another example, the pencilled reference "2465/2" represents the negative number (2465) followed by the number of the edition or copy (2) - "the latter meaning 2-off". David also found a source in the National Archives which listed those branches of USA Studios operating in the year 2012. I have revised the year dates in the "DATES ACTIVE" column in my table headed "U.S.A. STUDIOS - BRANCHES IN LONDON AND PROVINCES" in accordance with this latest information from David. Thanks to John Cosgrove of Halifax, Nova Scotia who kindly supplied the images of the U.S.A. Studios porcelain plaque portrait of his grandmother, father and aunt. |
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