2024 Week 22: Creativity #52Ancestorsin52weeks

In 2022, The Folly, a museum in the South Yorkshire Dales, ran an exhibition entitled " Three generations of studio photography 1864-1960", featuring digitised images from their recently acquired 'Horner Collection.' The Horner photographers are my daughter-in-law Lucy's 2 x great grandfather, his brother and one of his sons.

It had been with funding from the Arts Council/Victoria and Albert Museum Purchase Grant support and successful crowdfunding that this exhibition had come about. The collection comprises over 1000 photographs depicting the people of Settle in Yorkshire and the surrounding area.

Michael Horner (1843-1869) had started his photography business in Settle in 1864 after having spent four months working in one of the leading photographer's studios in Manchester. He shared premises with his father, Thomas Horner, who was a painter, gilder and glazer, so it must have been quite cramped. By 1865 he was advertising stereoscopic pictures and postcards of the local area for sale. The process he used for his photography involved the use of noxious chemicals and although the cause of his death at the young age of 26 was 'consumption' (tuberculosis) it is likely that the inhaling of the fumes from the wet photography process may have also contributed to his early death.

His younger brother, Anthony, who was only 16 at the time took over the business, his specialities being portraits of individuals and families. He was a Quaker and possibly tiring of the cramped studio, he moved the studio to new larger premises.

Anthony Horner

He in turn was succeeded by his son, Edward Holmes Horner. He had undertaken a seven year apprenticeship with his father. Edward continued to run the business for another 55 years. The studio was renowned for portraits and wedding photography, as well as for views of the local area.
The Museum secured the original glass plate negatives and its mission is to preserve, research, describe and digitise all of them. Eventually there will be a complete online catalogue of the Settle Photographers.

Source https://thefolly.org.uk/blog-horner/

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