PSS Exhibitors - Henry Peach Robinson - Artist and Photographer

Henry Peach Robinson

Artist and Photographer

Artist

HP Robinson was born in Ludlow, Shropshire, 1830

In 1843, he left school and spent one year practising drawing and painting. [MFH]

The journal 'The Photogram', in a brief biography of HP Robinson, wrote:

"Mr Robinson ... early took to artistic and literary pursuits. While quite a boy, he contributed both matter and sketches to 'The London Illustrated News' and 'The Journal of the Archaeological Society'; and before he came of age, exhibited a painting at the Exhibition of the Royal Academy" [The Photogram, March 1895, p.81]

The painting referred to above was an oil painting On the Teme near Ludlow at the Royal Academy of Art. It was exhibited in 1852. [MFH]

Photography

In 1852, he took up photography

- first photogenic drawing

- then calotype

- then wet collodion following regular weekly visits to Dr Diamond's house at Twickenham.

In 1857, he opened a studio in Leamington, and in 1858, he produced his first combination print from several negatives: 'Fading Away'.

In 1880 HP Robinson exposed his first gelatine plate. [TPP, Aug 1895, p.275]

From 1862 until 1891, HP Robinson was a Council Member of The Photographic Society [of London], which subsequently became The Royal Photographic Society. Resigning from The Photographic Society in 1891, he formed the Linked Ring.

[RL] and [TPP, 1895, p.68]

In 1895, the journal 'The Photogram', in a brief biography of HP Robinson, wrote:

"Mr Robinson stands, as he has done for years, as probably the best known man in photography, and the one whose words and example have done more than those of any other man to create and encourage photographic workers." [The Photogram, March 1895, p.81]

In 1900, HP Robinson was awarded Honorary Fellowship of The Royal Photographic Society.

On Printing Photographic Pictures
from Several Negatives

This is the title of HP Robinson's Lecture to the Photographic Society of Scotland on March 13th 1860. The lecture is reproduced in The Practical Photographer, May 1895, [pp.135-138]

This lecture describes how HP Robinson made his print of 'Here they Come'.

This photograph which was awarded a silver medal for the Best Portrait of a Group in the 1859 PSS Exhibition.

RL = Robert Leggat Web site: History of Photography

MFH = Margaret F Harker: Henry Peach Robinson - Master of Photographic Art 1830-1901

TPP = The Practical Photographer