Biography: 19th Century photographer Francis Bedford

Biography: 19th Century photographer Francis Bedford

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Francis Bedford (1815 in London – 15 May 1894) was an English photographer.

Francis Bedford was the son of the successful church architect Francis Octavius Bedford. He was christened at St Giles in Camberwell on 11 September 1815. He began his career as an architectural draughtsman and lithographer, before taking up photography in the early 1850s.

He helped to found the Royal Photographic Society in 1853. In 1854, at Marlborough House Queen Victoria commissioned him to photograph objects in the royal collection.

On 1 November 1843 he married Mary Graham at St Andrew’s in Holborn, London. The couple appear on the 1851 census living at 23 Rochester Road, Kentish Town, London, with their two young sons, Arthur and William. Francis gave ‘Lithographic Artist’ as his profession. When the 1861 census was taken, Francis, now an ‘Artist’, was staying at a hotel in Peterborough. Ten years later he and Mary were living at 326 Camden Road, London. Francis now gave ‘Photographic Artist’ as his profession. He was still at the same address in 1881. Also present that night were his wife Mary, his son William, his daughter-in-law Wilhelmina, and his six-year-old grandson Francis.

Francis Bedford (1815-94). Portions of the Frieze of the Parthenon [Athens, Greece]. 31 May 1862

Francis Bedford (1815-94) (photographer) South West View of the Parthenon [on the Acropolis, Athens, Greece] 31 May 1862

Francis Bedford (1815-94). South West View of the Parthenon [on the Acropolis, Athens, Greece]. 31 May 1862

Francis Bedford (1815-94). The Caryatid porch of the Erechtheum [Athens, Greece]. 30 May 1862

Francis Bedford (1815-94) Acropolis and Temple of Jupiter Olympus [Olympieion, Athens] 31 May 1862

Francis Bedford (1815-94) (photographer) The Temple of Jupiter from the north west [Baalbek, Lebanon] 3 May 1862

Francis Bedford (1815-94) The Temple of Jupiter from the north west [Baalbek, Lebanon] 3 May 1862

Francis Bedford (1815-94) (photographer) The Temple of the Sun and Temple of Jupiter [Baalbek, Lebanon] 4 May 1862

Francis Bedford (1815-94) The Temple of the Sun and Temple of Jupiter [Baalbek, Lebanon] 4 May 1862

Francis Bedford (1815-94) (photographer) The Colossi on the plain of Thebes [Colossi of Memnon] 17 Mar 1862

Francis Bedford (1815-94) The Colossi on the plain of Thebes [Colossi of Memnon] 17 Mar 1862

Francis Bedford (1815-94) (photographer) The Sphinx, the Great Pyramid and two lesser Pyramids, Ghizeh, Egypt 4 March 1862

Francis Bedford (1815-94) The Sphinx, the Great Pyramid and two lesser Pyramids, Ghizeh, Egypt 4 March 1862

Francis Bedford (1815-94) (photographer) The Great Propylon of the Temple at Edfou [Pylon of the Temple of Horus, Edfu] 14 Mar 1862

Francis Bedford (1815-94) The Great Propylon of the Temple at Edfou [Pylon of the Temple of Horus, Edfu] 14 Mar 1862

Francis Bedford (1815-94) (photographer) Mosque of Mehemet Ali [Mosque of Muhammad Ali, Cairo] 8 March 1862

Francis Bedford (1815-94) Mosque of Mehemet Ali [Mosque of Muhammad Ali, Cairo] 8 March 1862

Francis Bedford (1815-94) (photographer) Fountain in the Court of the Mosque of Mehemet Ali [Mosque of Muhammad Ali, Cairo] 3 Mar 1862

Francis Bedford (1815-94) Fountain in the Court of the Mosque of Mehemet Ali [Mosque of Muhammad Ali, Cairo] 3 Mar 1862

Francis Bedford (1815-94) Garden of Gethsemane [Jerusalem] 2 Apr 1862

Francis Bedford (1815-94) (photographer) The Mount of Olives and Garden of Gethsemane [Jerusalem] 2 Apr 1862

Francis Bedford (1815-94) The Mount of Olives and Garden of Gethsemane [Jerusalem] 2 Apr 1862

Francis Bedford (1815-94) (photographer) West Front of the Mosque of Omar [Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem] 1 Apr 1862

Francis Bedford (1815-94) West Front of the Mosque of Omar [Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem] 1 Apr 1862

Francis Bedford (1815-94) (photographer) Upper Bethoron [Beit Ur al-Foqa and the Valley of Ajalon] 31 Mar 1862

Francis Bedford (1815-94) Upper Bethoron [Beit Ur al-Foqa and the Valley of Ajalon] 31 Mar 1862

Francis Bedford (1815-94) (photographer) Damascus – from a minaret in the Christian quarter [Syria] 30 Apr 1862

Francis Bedford (1815-94) Damascus – from a minaret in the Christian quarter [Syria] 30 Apr 1862

Francis Bedford (1815-94) (photographer) The Street called Straight, Damascus 30 Apr 1862

Francis Bedford (1815-94) The Street called Straight, Damascus 30 Apr 1862

Francis Bedford (1815-94) (photographer) Tower of Galata and part of Turkish burial ground [Istanbul, Turkey] 21 May 1862

Francis Bedford (1815-94) Tower of Galata and part of Turkish burial ground [Istanbul, Turkey] 21 May 1862

Francis Bedford (1815-94) (photographer) Entrance to the Grotto of Antiparos 16 May 1862

Francis Bedford (1815-94) Entrance to the Grotto of Antiparos 16 May 1862

Francis Bedford (1815-94) (photographer) Damascus – from a minaret in the Christian quarter [Syria] 30 Apr 1862

Francis Bedford (1815-94) Damascus – from a minaret in the Christian quarter [Syria] 30 Apr 1862


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