CDV of unknown man

Debenham

Photographer

Bedford

and

Hitchin

This card almost certainly dates from the autumn of 1863, and the number 16 may be a negative number if it refers to a negative taken at the short-lived Bedford studio.

Samuel Debenham (1807-1887) was one of the earliest photographers to set up a studio in Hertfordshire, but his period in the county was short-lived. He appears to have come into the business because his sons studied at the London School of Photography in the 1850s. In 1861 the family was living in London and he was described as a photographer - with sons William, Edwin and Arthur also in the business.  In September 1862 he started as a photographer, erecting a glass house (for use as a studio) in the garden of his house in Tilehouse Street, Hitchin. He also published a list of photographs for sale which he had taken in of places in Hertfordshire.

In September 1863 he opened a studio, with its own glass house, in Harpur Street, Bedford, with the arrangements for taking carte de visite being attended to by Mr. Arthur Debenham, who has three years practice in Regent Street, London. Shortly afterwards he moved the original glass house to a more convenient location in Hitchin near the Town Hall.

It is not clear how far Samuel actually took the photographs himself, or whether how far the technical aspects were handled by one of other of his sons. What is clear was the arrangement did not work and in November 1863, only two months after the announcement of the Bedford studio, Messrs Cundall, Downes & Co, of New Bond Street, London, announced they were opening (in March 1864) a new and well-appointed studio in Harpur Street, Bedford. There is no later mention of any Debenham taking photographs in Bedford and it would seem they took over the newly equipped Debenham studio.

The position in Hitchin is clearer, as Mr George Avery announced that on December 15th, 1863, he was re-opening the (presumably closed) business of Mr. Debenham. Initially he appears to have used Debenham's unused carte de visite blanks with an address label stuck on the back. Obviously the facilities were not idea as in January 1864 George was advertising for more suitable accommodation, which he acquired in Brand Street, Hitchin. In 1870 the business changed hands again, this time to Thomas Latchmore.

Between 1864 and 1869 Samuel was trading as a photographer at 10 King Street, Luton, assisted by his sons Edwin and Arthur. He then retires and his sons William, Edwin and Arthur all became well established photographers in their own right, with no further connection with Hertfordshire.

This story demonstrates how useful the British Newspaper Archive can be as almost every step in the story is illustrated by advertisements. For this reason I finish with a timeline, concentrating on the period between 1861 and 1869, including all the significant news items - excluding only repeated or very similar advertisements.