Francis Bedford (photographer)

River Elwy by Francis Bedford

Sphinx and Egyptian pyramids by Francis Bedford

Francis Bedford (1815 in London – 15 May 1894) was an English photographer.^[1]

Life

Francis Bedford was the son of the successful church architect Francis Octavius Bedford. He was christened at St Giles in Camberwell on 11 September 1815. He began his career as an architectural draughtsman and lithographer, before taking up photography in the early 1850s.^[2]

He helped to found the Royal Photographic Society in 1853. In 1854, at Marlborough House Queen Victoria commissioned him to photograph objects in the royal collection.^[3]

On 1 November 1843 he married Mary Graham at St Andrew's in Holborn, London. The couple appear on the 1851 census living at 23 Rochester Road, Kentish Town, London, with their two young sons, Arthur and William. Francis gave 'Lithographic Artist' as his profession. When the 1861 census was taken, Francis, now an 'Artist', was staying at a hotel in Peterborough. Ten years later he and Mary were living at 326 Camden Road, London. Francis now gave 'Photographic Artist' as his profession. He was still at the same address in 1881. Also present that night were his wife Mary, his son William, his daughter-in-law Wilhelmina, and his six-year-old grandson Francis.

Photography records

On 19 February 2009 Swann Galleries set an auction record for Bedford's work Photographic Pictures Made by Mr. Francis Bedford During the Tour in the East, a suite of three albums from 1862. They albums sold for $132,000.

References

1. "This day, May 15, in Jewish history". Cleveland Jewish News.
2. Phillip N. Allen. "The Francis Bedford Topographical Photographs from Birmingham Central Library". Adam Matthew Publication. Retrieved 24 June 2010.
3. Francis Bedford, Answers.com.