Frith, Francis, 1822 -1898 (photographer)
Biography
Francis Frith was born on December 7th 1822 in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, England, to a Quaker family (Sackett 1994). He was educated at Ackworth School and Quaker Camp Hill School in Birmingham (Browne and Partnow 1983, p.212). After serving an apprenticeship with a Sheffield cutlery firm, he began a wholesale grocery firm, Liverpool, and later a printing firm (Sackett 1994). He took up photography in 1850 and in the mid-1850s retired from his successful business career. In 1853 he was one of the founders of the Liverpool Photographic Society (Turner 1995, p794). He made his first photographic visit to Egypt in 1856-57. He travelled on the Nile and photographed from Cairo to Abu Simbel. On his return he published a series of views which were enthusiastically received. He made a second trip with his assistant Frank Mason Good in late 1857. A third photographic trip was made in 1859 when Frith travelled beyond the Sixth Cataract. On his return from this third trip Frith set up as a photographer and publisher. His company produced a detailed record of English villages and towns, eventually becoming the largest mass production company in Europe. For a list of Frith photographic publications see: Gernsheim, Helmut (1984), 'Incunabula of British photographic literature : a bibliography of British books illustrated with original photographs'. London: Scolar in association with Derbyshire College of Higher Education.
In 1860 Frith married Mary Ann Rosling. They had five sons and three daughters. Frith died on February 25th 1898. His sons Eustace and Cyril continued the business (Sackett 1994). The firm survived until the 1960s.
Sources:
Browne, Turner and Partnow, Elaine (1983), 'Macmillian biographical encyclopedia of photographic artists and innovators'. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
Sackett, Terrance R. (1993) 'Francis Frith'. In: Dictionary of National Biography [CD-ROM]. [S.l.]: Oxford University Press, 1996.
Turner, Jane ed. (1996), 'The dictionary of art'. Volume 11. New York: Grove.
Found in 64 Collections and/or Records:
The north shore of the Dead Sea, 1860
220 x 158 mm. A fine landscape photograph looking along the barren shores of the Dead Sea with bleached driftwood in the foreground and hills in the distance.
The Pool of Bethesda, 1860
231 x 162 mm. A view taken from near St. Stevens gate looking towards the pool of Bethesda, the mosque of Omar and Aksa (partially obscured by smoke from a chimney in the foreground) and with the houses of the modern city on the right.
The Pool of Hezekiah, 1860
227 x 161 mm. A view from the tower of Hippicus looking on the pool of Hezekiah with the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the background.
The pool of Hezekiah etc. from the tower of Hippicus, Jerusalem, 1857
232 x 158 mm. A view looking down on the pool of Hezekiah, enclosed on all sides by buildings (among them 'The Mediterranean' Hotel), with the domes of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre beyond.
The street called Straight, Damascus, 1860
114 x 142 mm. A view looking through the eastern gate and along the cobbled street, with ramshackle houses lining the way.
The town and lake of Tiberias, from the north, 1860
226 x 153 mm. A view from the north-west looking over the town and towards the lake with the ruins of the roman castle and a modern brick wall in the foreground
The town and lake of Tiberias, from the north, 1857
224 x 151 mm. A view from the north-west looking over the town and towards the lake with the ruins of the roman castle and a modern brick wall in the foreground, about which Frith comments: 'I would have given anything in reason to have been able to play the artist, and omit.'
The town and lake of Tiberias from the south, 1857
232 x 152 mm. A view looking towards the houses of the town which run down to the shores of Lake Tiberias, with roman ruins in the foreground, described by Frith as : 'a most wretchedly forlorn and dirty-looking assemblage of houses, or hovels of ultra-oriental character.'
The Tyropean Valley, 1857
229 x 156 mm. A view showing a section of southern Jerusalem with thick growths of prickly pear cactus in the foreground, the houses of the town beyond and the dome of the Mosque of Omar visible behind two cypress trees. The remains of ancient bridge or viaduct, known as 'Dr Robinson's Arch' can be seen just to the right of centre of the print .
The Valley of Jehoshaphat, Jerusalem, 1860
227 x 160 mm. A view looking along the Valley of Jehoshaphat with the Mount of Olives in the background. In the foreground is the Jewish burial ground with tombstones and sepulchres. The furthest sepulchre is the Tomb of Absalom, the nearest the Tomb of Zechariah.
The village of Siloam and the Valley of Kidron, 1860
227 x 157 mm. A view looking along the valley at the small village of low square houses on the hillside south-east of Jerusalem. This view looks south from the northern end of the village.
Tiberias, from the south, 1860
226 x 157 mm. A view looking towards the houses of the town which run down to the shores of Lake Tiberias, with roman ruins in the foreground.
View at Hebron, 1857
216 x 145 mm. A view looking over rocky ground (the ruined foundations of a former settlement) towards the western or Jewish quarter of the town, a closely-packed mass of low square buildings surrounded by hills.
View Hebron, 1860
214 x 143 mm. A view looking over rocky ground (the ruined foundations of a former settlement) towards the western or Jewish quarter of the town, a closely-packed mass of low square buildings surrounded by hills.
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