Edward Ireland

Photographic Studios

Edward Ireland was a Professional photographer in Edinburgh 1885-92. 

He also had studios elsewhere.

His early cartes de visite list studios in: 

-  Edinburgh 

-  Manchester

        or

-  Edinburgh 

-  Hanley

-  Liverpool

-  Manchester

His later cartes de visite list these studios and also:

-  Birmingham

-  Blackburn.

-  Bradford

-  Burney

-  Glasgow

-  Leeds 

-  Liverpool

-  Manchester.

Photography in Manchester

Diana and Chris Kieman wrote:

Lancashire Studios

"We are interested in Edward Ireland from the point of view of his life and work in the Chorlton-cum-Hardy district of Manchester.  Here he lived in what is now Holly Bank on St Clements Road Chorlton and, at least until the 1880s, had a studio in Chorlton as well as studios in other parts of the North West and Edinburgh.  We know this from an advert he put in a Methodist Bazaar Handbook from 1885."

Photos of Manchester?

"Edward Ireland also owned seven houses on a plot in the district which he bequeathed in Trust to his son Charles and his family.

Despite his being well rooted in Chorlton we have only come across one photograph attributed to him concerning the district.  This is of an old cottage on nearby Chorlton Green.

At this time the area was becoming increasingly affluent with well-off residents who may well have commissioned work.  There was a great deal of activity in the district and in the City of Manchester which could have been the subject of Edward Ireland’s work, or of the people who worked for him."

Question

Diana and Chris Kieman added:

Archive of Photos?

"We are compiling a history of Chorlton and are therefore interested in any work relating to Chorlton-cum-Hardy.

We wonder if there is an archive of Edward Ireland's material anywhere, which might include work which his company did in Chorlton."

Help?

I expect that most of Edward Ireland's photos would have been taken in his studio. This was normal for professional photographers in the 1880s.

I don't know how often he might have ventured outside with his camera, but the answer seems to be 'at least once'.

If you know anything about any photos taken outdoors in Lancashire by Edward Ireland or any of his workers,  please email me, then I'll pass on your message to Diana and Chris.

Thank you.    -  Peter Stubbs:  June 30, 2009

Addresses and Family

Thank you to Diana and Chris Kieman for writing again to tell me:

Manchester

"We thought Edward Ireland had moved to Edinburgh, but we have now found that he lived in Manchester, certainly up to 1901.

We think he ran his business in Edinburgh from 1885 to 1892.

 Those dates agree with the dates that I have for his photographic business in Edinburgh, based on the Edinburgh trade directories.  -  Peter Stubbs

Three of his children also became photographers.  The eldest, Elizabeth, also printed the photographs.  She seems to have ‘retired’ possibly after she got married.

Edward was certainly a man of parts.  At the age of 18 he was an iron moulder, at 28 a Parish Clerk but by the time he was 38 he was a photographer employing 5 men, 2 women and a boy!

Diana and Chris Kieman, Lancashire:  July 30, 2009

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