James Hodges

Photographic Artist

Lothian Road

Photographer in 1860

Source of Information

When I compiled the list of Edinburgh Professional Photographers for the EdinPhoto web site, I thoroughly searched all the trade directories that I could find for Edinburgh, and other sources including a large collection of cartes de visite that I have.

I found just a single reference to James Hodges.  That was in Slater’s Royal National Commercial Directory of Scotland.  I have only ever seen a few editions.  These include the years 1852/60/67/78/2/89 and several later years.   The 1860 directory is the only one that includes his name, so that may give some idea of the period that James might have been in business in Edinburgh.

However, I've now received the message below from Robyn Lloyd Hughes, one of James Hodges' descendants.

 

 

Comment

1.

Robyn Lloyd Hughes

Preston St Mary, Suffolk, England

Robyn Lloyd Hughes wrote:

James Hodges

Photographic Artist

"My Great-Great-Grandfather was James Hodges, who had a photographic studio in Lothian Road in the 19th Century.

I know nothing more about him, but I have an elaborate, finely cut metal stencil with the words 'J Hodges Photographic Artist Edinburgh' cut into it.

Metal Stencil

A metal stencil used by the early Edinburgh Photographic Artist, James Hodges

© Reproduced with acknowledgement to Robyn Lloyd Hughes

I presume he used this in lieu of a rubber stamp to make his mark on the back of photographic prints."

George Wilson

Son-in-law of James Hodges

"I also have this Carte de Visite taken some time towards the end of the 19th century with a photo of my Great Grandfather, George Wilson. 

George Wilson

A carte de visite from the studio of T J Bonne. The subject is George Wilson, son-in-law of the early Edinburgh Photographic Artist, James Hodges.

© Reproduced with acknowledgement to
Robyn Lloyd Hughes, great grandson of
the man in this photo, George Wilson.

He was James Hodges' son-in-law, married to Hodges' daughter, Margaret.

My mother, now aged 94, well remembers her grandmother Margaret Wilson (nee Hodges) from the 1920s/1930s.

I found it interesting that the C de V is not one of Hodges' but is from  'T J Bonne & Co, 105 South Bridge, Edinburgh' **

Robyn Lloyd Hughes, Preston St Mary, Suffolk, England:  22 December 2016

** It seems likely to me that James Hodges studio is likely to have closed long before T J Bonne & Co produced the carte de visite of James' son-in-law.                                       Peter Stubbs: 22 Dec 2016

 

Reply to Robyn?

If you'd like to send a reply to Robyn, concerning any of the people that he mentions above, please email me to let me know, then I'll forward his email address to you.

Peter Stubbs: 22 Dec 2016

 

Click here to select Other Photographers

 

__________________