Robert Howlett
Robert Howlett | |
---|---|
Born | [1] | 3 July 1831
Died | 2 December 1858 London, England | (aged 27)
Occupation | Photographer |
Robert Howlett (3 July 1831
He exhibited at the
Howlett made photographic studies for the artist William Powell Frith to assist him on his vast modern panorama painting The Derby Day (1856–58; Tate, London) which was exhibited at the Royal Academy of Arts in 1858.[5]
Howlett was commissioned by
Howlett died in 1858, aged 27. His death was apparently due to typhoid (rather than as a result of over-exposure to dangerous chemicals, as was suggested by some at the time, a myth that has continued to this day). The Illustrated Times praised him as "one of the most skillful photographers of the day."[7]
Prints from Howlett's photographs were published posthumously by his late partners Cundall & Downes under their own name, and by the London Stereoscopic and Photographic Company.[5]
Early life and education
Howlett was the second of four sons of
Career
In London Howlett rose to prominence while working for the Photographic Institution at 168 New Bond Street, London, which was a leading establishment for the commercial promotion of photography through exhibitions, publications, and commissions.[2] Although the Photographic Institution was established in 1853 by Joseph Cundall and Philip Henry Delamotte, it is believed that Howlett replaced Delamotte, who became professor of drawing at King's College London.[2] He was elected to membership of the Photographic Society of London, later the Royal Photographic Society, in December 1855 and remained a member until his death.[12]
By 1856 Howlett was mentioned in the photographic press.
He exhibited at the London Photographic Society and in 1856 published a booklet "On the Various Methods of Printing Photographic Pictures upon Paper, with Suggestions for Their Preservation".
Howlett undertook the first of a number of commissions for
Howlett's studio portraits at 'The Photographic Institute' included eminent 'fine artists' such as
Howlett was commissioned to make photographic studies of the crowd at the 1856 Epsom Derby for the painter
The Great Eastern
Howlett's major work was the commission by The Illustrated Times Weekly Newspaper[7][8] to document the construction of the world's largest steamship, the SS Great Eastern.[3][4] His images were translated into wood-engravings by Henry Vizetelly for the Illustrated Times. They reflected and stimulated the widespread interest in this feat of engineering.[2]
This project included the well-known portrait of the Great Eastern's creator and engineer, Isambard Kingdom Brunel, standing in front of the giant launching chains on the 'checking drum' braking mechanism at
This image, which depicts Brunel in an industrial setting instead of a more traditional background for a portrait,[7] has been described as "one of the first examples of environmental portraiture". [8]
Death
"He was so full of enthusiasm and excitement, that … he appeared to be running here and there and everywhere, and doing in one day as much as most men would accomplish in two or three".
The Journal of the Photographic Society, 21 December 1858.[1]
Howlett died in 1858, aged 27, at his home and studio at 10 Bedford Place, Campden Hill, shortly after returning from a trip to France to try out a new 'wide angle lens'.
Grave
Howlett is buried at the church of St Peter and St Paul, Wendling, Norfolk, where his father was perpetual curate. His gravestone is to the east of the chancel.[14]
In 2017 a campaign led by his biographer, Rose Teanby, succeeded in having his grave restored, followed by a re-dedication service on 14 October 2017.[15]
Galleries showing Robert Howlett
- London, National Portrait Gallery[10]
- London, Victoria and Albert Museum[8]
- New York, Hans P. Kraus, Jr., Fine Photographs
- San Francisco Museum of Modern Art[6]
- Cleveland Museum of Art[16]
Bibliography
- On the Various Methods of Printing Photographic Pictures upon Paper, with Suggestions for Their Preservation, by Robert Howlett[9]
Modern tribute
In 2008,
In 2009, the article The Light Shone and Was Spent: Robert Howlett and the Power of Photography by David White was published.[1]
Notes
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l The Light Shone and Was Spent: Robert Howlett and the Power of Photography
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p "Oxford Dictionary of Biography, Link to entry for Robert Howlett".
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "World Wide Art Resources, Biography: Artist: Robert Howlett (1831–1858)".
- ^ a b c "Audio slideshow: Brunel's achievements revisited". 29 November 2008 – via news.bbc.co.uk.
- ^ a b c d e "Answers - The Most Trusted Place for Answering Life's Questions". Answers.
- ^ a b c d "San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Image of Crimean Braves 1856, by Robert Howlett and John Cundall".
- ^ a b c d e f g Jones, Jonathan (17 June 2000). "Isambard Kingdom Brunel, Robert Howlett (1857)". The Guardian.
- ^ a b c d e Victoria and Albert Museum, Digital Media webmaster@vam ac uk (29 July 2015). "Content no longer available". www.vam.ac.uk.
- ^ a b c d e Howlett, Robert (4 March 1856). "On the Various Methods of Printing Photographic Pictures Upon Paper: With Suggestions for Their Preservation". Sampson Low, Son & Company – via Google Books.
- ^ a b c "National Portrait Gallery, Notes about Robert Howlett".
- ^ a b Cartage, Biography of Joseph Cundall
- ^ Members of the Royal Photographic Society, 1853–1901. Accessed 26 October 2016 http://rpsmembers.dmu.ac.uk/rps_results.php?mid=805
- ^ "Quick Loans from an Award-Winning Lender". QuickLoansExpress.
- ^ Robert Howlett grave restoration. Accessed 26 October 2016. http://britishphotohistory.ning.com/profiles/blogs/robert-howlett-grave-restoration-your-support-needed
- ^ Rose Teanby Photography, Biography of Robert Howlett
- ^ "Search the Collection". Cleveland Museum of Art.
Sources
- Sources listed at Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Roger Taylor, Oxford University Press, 2004.accessed 2 Dec 2008
- G. Seiberling and C. Bloor, Amateurs, photography, and the mid-Victorian imagination (1986)
- Mr Hardwick, Journal of the Photographic Society, 5 (1858–59), 111–12
- A. Hamber, A higher branch of the arts (1996)
- R. Taylor, Critical moments: British photographic exhibitions, 1839–1865', Data base, priv. coll.
- Death Certificate. · CGPLA Eng. & Wales (1859)
External links
- Works by or about Robert Howlett at Internet Archive
- Photographs by Robert Howlett displayed at the National Portrait Gallery (London)