List of Lowestoft Photographers

Arcade Studios
London Road
See also D. J. Woolston

Barker's Studios
155 London Road, Lowestoft (1920?) See also Promenade Snaps

Barrett
Centre of London Road, Lowestoft (1870?)

Barrett, F.
London Road, Lowestoft (Kelly's Suffolk Directory 1865)

Barrett, John
London Road, Lowestoft (White's Suffolk Directory 1885, Kelly's Suffolk Directory 1883/1888/1892/1896)
103 London Road North, Lowestoft (Kelly's Suffolk Directory 1892/1896)
2 Church Road, Lowestoft (Kelly's Suffolk Directory 1896/1900)

Barrett, M.
37 London Road (shared with F. S. Worthington, Surgeon), Lowestoft (Mathieson's Yarmouth and Lowestoft Directory - 1867- 1868, Huke's Directory- 1892)

Barrett, Michael Frederick
London Road (Harrod's Norfolk Directory 1863/1868/ 1872/1873/ 1877, Morris' Suffolk Directory 1868, Kelly's Suffolk Directory 1869/1875/1879)

Bawden, William
Walmer Terrace, London Road South, Lowestoft (Ipswich and District Trades Directory 1906/1907)

Beattie, John
"at the top of London Road, Lowestoft, next to the Baptist Chapel" (Heathcote identifies Beattie as an early daguerreotypist and (from 1851) a wet plate photographer.) ('The Norwich Mercury' and 'The Norfolk News' July and August 1856, Norfolk News" advertisement of 21st June1856 refers to a previous visit to Lowestoft six years earlier. Whilst, this appears to indicate a visit to the town in 1850, Beattie's counting of the years may have been a little approximate. (He was in Great Yarmouth, just across the Norfolk border, in 1852, and that could have been close to the time of his first Lowestoft visit.)

Bedwell, J.
London Road South, Lowestoft, (Kelly's Suffolk Directory 1858)

Bevan, Henry William (H.W.)
2 Pier Terrace and 2A Pier Terrace, Lowestoft (Kelly's Suffolk Directory 1875/1873/1883/1888/1892/1896, White's Suffolk Directory 1885/1892, Huke's Directory- 1892)
3 London Road South, Pier Terrace (G. S. Cook's Directory 1882)
(According to Robb/Godfrey, glass negatives from Bevan's studio passed into the hands of the Jenkins family, when they took over the premises. They survived in the Pier Terrace basement until lost (along with Jenkins plates) in the East Coast Floods of 1953. Some of the Bevan archive may, however, have already been lost in the earlier floods of 1897. The Robb/Godfrey correspondence dates the Bevan studio to 1874-1896.
According to LJ/IR, Bevan was born in Ipswich, Suffolk, in 1852 and arrived in Lowestoft in 1874, when he took over the photographic interests of William Reed and of Delaney & Co. His wife, Clarissa (whom he married in 1876), was from Lowestoft, and they had three children. He was appointed official photographer to the mayors of Lowestoft and in 1877 (shortly before her death at the age of 103) he photographed Lady Pleasance Smith, daughter of the Lord of the Manor of Lowestoft and wife of the Linnaean Society’s founder. Bevan sold the business to Harry Jenkins in 1898 and died in 1927. Reference

Bevan, J.
Pier Terrace, Lowestoft (Harrod's Norfolk Directory 1877)

Bodmer, Edward
Lowestoft (1960?)

Boultwood, Sidney
(He had automatic photo studios in Lowestoft and Ipswich shortly before the beginning of the First World War. For further details, see entry for ‘StickyBacks studios’. Reference

Boughton, W., & Sons
106 London Road Lowestoft (Kelly's Suffolk 1892)
54 London Road, Lowestoft (Kelly's Suffolk 1896/1900/1904/1908/1916, Ipswich District Trades Directory 1906/1907, Aubrey's Suffolk 1916)
54 London Road North, Lowestoft (Kelly's Suffolk 1912)
London Road (Huke's Directory- 1892)

The Kelley's Suffolk Directory 1900 entries are separate, but in view of the firm's moves and expansions, these two Suffolk Directory studios seem likely to be part of the same chain. This is the same business that had a changing pattern of branches in four Norfolk towns between 1883 & 1912, for which see Boughton in Norfolk Directory.
A carte, apparently from the late 1890s, also mentions a studio at Bury St. Edmunds. Its coincidence with the other studios mentioned on the mount – Lowestoft, Thetford & Yarmouth – would tie in with the state of the Boughton chain at around 1896. But the Bury business began operations rather earlier in the decade. An advertisement, discovered by David Gobbitt in the 'Bury and Norwich Post', 5th September 1893, states that the Bury studio has recently been opened and locates it at 7 Market Hill.
According to Lowestoft Journal, Boughton succeeded H. W. Bevan as official photographer to the mayors of Lowestoft. Robb/Godfrey notes that the Boughton, Jenkins and Wilson families were business competitors in Lowestoft but maintained strong social links.The studio at 54 London Road continued in use for many years, with Walter being succeeded by his son and grandson. Paul Godfrey's memories of the premises in the 1960s form a separate studio note. Reference

Buttons, S.E.
121 High Street, Lowestoft (1932?)

Cinesnaps
Active about 1915. Had a studio at 231 London Road South and also listed as H. Cooper.

Claremont Photo Stores
Claremont Road, Lowestoft (1920?, 1925?)

Claremont Photographic Stores
Claremont Road, Lowestoft

Cooper, H.
Active about 1915. Had a studio at 231 London Road South as a walking/street phototographer Cinesnaps.

Cornaby, James S.
19 Albert Place, Near Marine Parade
19 London Road South, Lowestoft (White's Suffolk Directory 1874)

Country Studios
(1900?)

Crisp, A. & Son
22 High St., Lowestoft (1920?)

A. Crisp & Son
Booksellers and Stationers 22 High Str, Lowestoft (G. S. Cook's 1882, not listed as a photographer)
22 & 176 High St.

Croughton, G.
Lowestoft (1880?)

Croughton, George
19 Albert Place Near Marine Parade (early location taken over from J. S. Cornaby, Croughton uses some Cornaby backs on his photos)
19 London Road, South, Lowestoft (According to the back of his cards he medaled in photography in 1872 and again in 1874) (Kelly's Suffolk Directory 1875/1879, White's Suffolk Directory 1885)

Croughton, H.
London Road South, Lowestoft (Harrod's Norfolk Directory, 1877)

Cubitt, Charles Edward
1 Suffolk Road, Lowestoft, (White's Suffolk Directory 1892, Kelly's Suffolk Directory 1892)

Cubitt Bros.
London Road, (Huke's Directory- 1892)

Cullingham, B.
Lowestoft (1870?)

Delany & Co.
London Road South, Lowestoft (Harrod's Norfolk Directory 1868, Morris' Suffolk Directory 1868, Mathieson's Yarmouth and Lowestoft Directory - 1867-1868) (According to Lowestoft Journal, the business was taken over by Henry Bevan in 1874. Listed as an artist, not a photographer, in Mathieson's Directory. Reference

Delany, Ernest
2 Elizabeth Terrace, London Road, Lowestoft, (Kelly's Suffolk Directory 1865)
2 Linden Villas, London Road South, Lowestoft (Kelly's Suffolk Directory 1869)

Dobson, J.H.
34 Denmark Road

East Anglia Portrait Co.
176 High Street, Lowestoft (Kelly's Suffolk Directory 1908/1912/1916, Aubrey's Suffolk Directory, 1916)

East, R. B.
Commercial Photographer, 318, London Road South, (1950?)

Edgar & Co.
149 London Road South, Kirkley, Lowestoft (Kelly's Suffolk Directory 1900/1904/1908/1912/1916, Ipswich Directory of Trades 1906/1907, Town & County's Eastern Counties of England 1901)

Edgar & Co.
S. Lowestoft
151 London Road South, Kirkley, Lowestoft (Kelly's Suffolk Directory 1908/1912/1916)

Emerson, Peter Henry
(1856-1936) was not a studio photographer, but, as an important historical figure, is included for his links with Suffolk Directory. A champion of the naturalistic approach to photography, he became noted for his photographs of East Anglian Scenery and Life. After holidaying in the area, he moved to Southwold, where he lived c1885-1891. He lived in or near Lowestoft during the second half of the 1890s, and returned to Suffolk Directory briefly in 1925, living at Somerleyton. Much of his photographic exploration of the Norfolk Directory Broads was undertaken during the Southwold period. Reference

Flood & Son, Ltd.
Lowestoft (1922, 1907?)

Flood, Joseph
93 High Street, Lowestoft.
Mathieson's Yarmouth and Lowestoft Directory - 1867-1868
Printer, stationer, and bookbinder,

Freestone, E. M.
225 London Road, Lowestoft
(1928?) I'm not sure if he's a photographer or a publisher only.

Gall, Laurence
Commercial & General Photographer
Telephone 4625
103 High Street - Lowestoft

Gillam & Syrett, R. J.
London Road, Lowestoft, July 1855, traveling photographers (SYRETT, R J, 13 Hatter Street, Bury WS1855
Heathcote records that Syrett ran the Hatter Street studio from June 1853 until July 1854. A 'Bury and Ipswich Post' advertisement of 1st June 1853 promotes his 'Non-Inverted Photographic Portraits', which are 'Hermetically Sealed between Gold and Silver'. He subsequently formed part of the Gilliam & Syrett partnership that had premises in London Road, Lowestoft, in July 1855.

Happy-Faces
269 London Road, South Lowestoft (1920?)

Harvey's
162 Bridge Rd, Oulton Broad

Holmes, J.W.
Gun Lane, Lowestoft (White's Suffolk Directory, 1892)

Howard, James William
Kendall Road, Kirkley, Lowestoft (Kelly's Suffolk Directory, 1912)

Hughes, F.
61 London Road South, Lowestoft (Kelly's Suffolk Directory, 1896)

Jackson's Faces
Lowestoft, Gorleston, and Great Yarmouth. (1915?)

C. Jefferies
Jefferies had a studio at 45 Tonning St. (1913?)

Jenkins, Ford
11 London Road N. (1960?, 1965?, 1969?)

Jenkins, F. (Frederick)
(ad in Ward Lock) Southwold, Suffolk Directory

Jenkins, H. (Harry)
2 Pier Terrace, Lowestoft (Kelly's Suffolk Directory 1900/1904/1908/1912/1916 Ipswich Directory of Trades 1906/1907, Aubrey's Suffolk Directory 1916)
According to Lowestoft Journal, Harry Jenkins' father -Henry Jenkins - was a photographer in Tunbridge Wells. Records of the Photographic Convention of the United Kingdom indicate that Jenkins was at 2 Pier Terrace by 1897. Colin Elliott (in 'Sailing Fishermen n Old Photographs; Tops'l Books, 1978) dates his arrival to 1896, and adds that he died in 1952 at the age of 86.
The photographic families of Boughton, Jenkins and Wilson were business competitors but mixed socially. Harry Jenkins was succeeded in the business by his son, Ford, and his grandson, Peter. Some of his photographic plates survived in the Pier Terrace basement until 1953, when they were irreparably damaged by the East Coast floods. (Information drawn from Robb/Godfrey.) Paul Godfrey also reports that Jenkins' wife, Mary, was a daughter of a Derbyshire photographer, Barrowclough Bentley of Buxton. Reference

Harry Jenkins
(b 1866 - d1952), son of Henry Jenkins, a photographer in Tunbridge Wells. Brother of Frederick Jenkins, photographer in Southwold. Reference

H. Jenkins, Ltd. (1949?)

Kemp, William John
9 Arcade, Lowestoft (Kelly's Suffolk Directory, 1908)

Lewis, Frank
I don't have any information on this studio, other than one embossed formal studio photograph.

Littlewood, E.
1 Prairie, London Road, Lowestoft (Kelly's Suffolk Directory, 1858)

Littlewood, Edward
11 London Rd, Lowestoft. (Mathieson's Yarmouth and Lowestoft Directory - 1867-1868, listed as an artist)

Metcalf, Charles T.
64 Tonning Street, Lowestoft (Kelly's Suffolk Directory 1900, Ipswich Directory of Trades 1906/1907)
223 London Road South, Lowestoft (Kelly's Suffolk Directory, 1916)

Powell & Co.
I don't have any information on this studio, other than one postcard.

Promenade Snaps
155 London Road, Lowestoft (About 1920), See also Barker's Studios

Ralph, B.
London Road South, Lowestoft (1880?)

Reed, William
2 Pier Terrace, Lowestoft (Lowestoft Journal) sold his studio to Bevan in 1874.

Reeves, J. E.
48 & 50 Hermit Road, Canning Town, London
109 Queens Road, Lowestoft
Possibly this photographer came to Lowestoft during "the season" to take studio portraits and then went back to London. I've only seen one copy of his work, so he wasn't around long.
In the Edinburgh Gazette, quoting in turn from the London Gazette, 4 December, 1906, "Bankrupt notice- J. E. Reeves, 48 and 50 Hermit Road, Canning Town, in the county of London, Photographer."

Reynolds, William A.
London Road, Lowestoft, (Kelly's Suffolk Directory, 1865/1869, Harrod's Norfolk Directory 1863, Morris' Suffolk Directory 1868)
Arnold Street, London Road, Lowestoft (Harrod's Norfolk Directory 1868)
A ‘Reynolds of Lowestoft’ carte survives with '1862' handwritten on the back. At that time his cartes were priced at 6/- per dozen. He is described as ‘artist & photographer’ in Huke's Suffolk S1863 and Huke's Norfolk 1864. His advertisement in Huke's Suffolk 1863 reads: ‘Before you have your Portrait taken, pay a visit to Reynolds' Photographic Saloon ... and inspect the Specimens which will be found the Best and Cheapest Photographs Either on Glass or Paper, that have yet been placed before the public, including the much admired Carte de Visites. Mr Reynolds still continues to produce those works of art in Coloured Photographs, which for artistic merit, brilliancy, and durability, stand unrivalled.’ Reference

Richards, L. E.
Active about 1915 in South Lowestoft.

Robinson, Frederick J.
Victoria Terrace, Lowestoft (Kelly's Suffolk Directory, 1883)
Kirkley, Lowestoft (White's Suffolk Directory 1885) (G. S. Cook's, Directory of Lowestoft and Kirkley, Almanack for 1883, published Jan. 1883, therefore compiled in 1882, Ad on page 66- F.J. Robinson, Portrait Painter and Photography, From Regent St., London and Tunbridge Wells, Victoria Terrace, London Road South
On the back of post card dated 1919- Forest, Post Office, South-Lowestoft, Photo by Robinson, Kirkley

Rogers & Chapman
London Road, Lowestoft (Kelly's Suffolk Directory, 1858) The studio is referred to as having recently opened in an advertisement in 'The Norfolk Directory News', 6th June 1857. The partners had evidently given it up by 28thFebruary 1860, when it was damaged in a hurricane and referred to, in a subsequent 'Ipswich Journal' report, as 'the photographic studio, late of Messrs Rogers and Chapman'. Reference

Rogers, H. G.
158 London Road N., Lowestoft (1905?)

Saunders, J.
Kirkley, Lowestoft (Kelly's Suffolk Directory, 1858)
Harding's Cottages, Kirkley, Lowestoft (Harrod's Norfolk Directory 1863) (Harrod's Suffolk Directory 1864)
London Road, Kirkley, Lowestoft (Harrod's Norfolk Directory 1868)
1 Providence Place, Lowestoft (Kelly's Suffolk Directory, 1868, Morris' Suffolk Directory 1868, Mathieson's Yarmouth and Lowestoft Directory - 1867-1868)
1 Providence Place, Kirtley [sic], Lowestoft
(He was working at 1 Providence Place, Lowestoft by 24th October 1857, according to an advertisement in 'The Norfolk Directory News'. In the same edition he advertised for sale a fully-equipped 'portable Photographic Gallery' which was offered 'owing to the proprietor being obliged to remove it'. This suggests a period of itinerant operation before Saunders settled in Providence Place.
He is referred to as ‘James Saunders junior’ in Kelley's Suffolk 1869. This may mark passing of the business from father to son, but the use of ‘junior’ in trade directories does not always seem consistent. A Saunders carte mount, dating from the late 60s, gives the 1 Providence Place address, and offers the spelling,‘Kirtley’. ('Kirtley ' is also the spelling used in 'The Norfolk Directory News'.)

Sayers, Fras. H.
19 London Road South, Lowestoft (Kelly's Suffolk Directory, 1892, Huke's Directory- 1892)

Spashett & Co.
Royal Arcade, Suffolk Directory Terrace on London Road (G. S. Cook's Directory of Lowestoft and Kirkley 1882) Stationers and dealers in Fancy goods- not listed as a photographer.

Spashett & Co'y
(1919?)

Spashett, H. A.
Lowestoft (1912)

Spashetts, Ltd.
(1900?)
Copyright Photos by Spashett's, Lowestoft (1928?)

Stangroom, S. T.

Stangroom had a studio around 1925 at 92 London Road, Lowestoft.

Stebbings, Q. H.
About 1890
I don't have anything on him other than he took some photos in 1891 and H. Jenkins reprinted them for years later, so he had the negatives at one time.

Stickyback Studios
Lowestoft Bridge, Lowestoft 1912-1913
155 London Road, Lowestoft 1912-1913
49 St Matthew’s Street, Ipswich 1913 (More than one company produced ‘Sticky Backs’, which were small adhesive-backed portraits, taken by an early type of automatic photo system. Paul Godfrey draws attention the Suffolk Directory branches of a StickyBack chain run by Sidney Boultwood: More information – both about the format and about Boultwood’s business – can be found on the Sussex Photohistory, Reference

Thredder, William J.

Victoria Terrace, Kirkley, Lowestoft

Kelly's Suffolk, 1875, 1879
Huck's Norfolk 1877

Wall, Phillip
269 London Road S. (note same address as Happy-Faces) (1965?)

Warren, W.
London Road South, Lowestoft (Kelly's Suffolk Directory, 1888)
On the back of a carte, W. Warren overwrites (crosses out) as taking over the studio of the (late) B. Ralph, London Road South, Lowestoft. (Late could could mean "dead", but probably means "once was owned by".

Webb, J. J., The Bridge, Lowestoft
active about 1907.

Wells, Jn.
54 London Road, N.

Wilson, Christopher
91 London Road, Lowestoft (Kelly's Suffolk Directory, 1904/1908/1912/1916, Ipswich Directory of Trades 1906/1907, Aubry's Suffolk Directory 1916)
Wilson is the subject of a book, 'Images of Lowestoft: the photographs of Christopher Wilson' by Ian G Robb (Sutton Publishing, 2002).
Robb/Godfrey reports that he first worked (c 1888-1893) in Sleaford, Lincs, before moving to Lowestoft and the studio of Walter Boughton (c1894-1904). Though subsequently setting up his own business, he remained part of the Boughton/Jenkins circle of competing but friendly photographic families. (According to LJ/IR, he succeeded Boughton as official photographer to the mayors of Lowestoft.) The rise of the amateur photographer forced him in later years to take up the developing and printing trade and sell photographic equipment. Though promoting Kodak products as a retailer, he retained a personal preference for the products of British photographic manufacturers. The Lowestoft Record office holds a collection of his prints, including some dating from his Sleaford years. Reference

Woolston, Daniel James (D. J.)
Arcade Studio, London Road, Lowestoft
12 Arcade, London Road North, Lowestoft (Kelly's Suffolk Directory, 1912)
12 Victoria Arcade, London Road North, Lowestoft (Kelly's Suffolk Directory, 1916)
London Road North (Aubry's Suffolk Directory 1916)

Wyn

Young, Augustus
Victoria Terrace, S. Lowestoft (1880?)
Regent House, South Lowestoft (1880?)
74 London Road, Lowestoft (Kelly's Suffolk Directory, 1888)
Victoria Rd and High St. (Huke's Directory- 1892)
95 High Street, Lowestoft (Kelly's Suffolk Directory, 1892, White's Suffolk Directory 1892)
Kirkley (Kelly's Suffolk Directory, 1892)
Victoria Terrace, Kirkley, Lowestoft (Kelly's Suffolk Directory, 1892/1896)
Wellington Road, Kirkley, Lowestoft (Kelly's Suffolk Directory, 1904/1908/1912, Ipswich Directory of Trades 1906/1907)

Zaleski
abt 1900-10, could be a photographer or a owner of a boarding house.

Photographers in Lowestoft


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