S. ANGEL - PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER
The Photographer, Samuel Angel was a local man, and appeared on the 1861 Census as being aged 12 and being born in 1849 at No15 Pollet Street St Peter Port and shown as 'Angell' - all subsequent Census details he was listed as 'Angel' with a single 'L.' .
The first time Samuel is listed as a photographer in the Census is in 1881, before that he was shown as a 'Draper's Shopman'. He is still listed as a photographer 30 years later in the 1911 Census. In the 1881 Census his wife was shown as being born in St Helier Jersey and listed as being an 'Assistant Photographer'; in all other Census years she is shown as having no occupation and being born in St Peter Port Guernsey!
The author has not seen many examples of his work, but the ones he has seen gives the impression of being more than amateur than professional. It is the authors theory that due to the budget unprinted and home made 'Cabinet' cards being used, and plus all photographs seen having a crude black rubber stamp with his name thereon, that his day job may have been a photographers help with a more established business and his own images were an extra money earner, no doubt at a cheaper price than the professionals.
Only two 'Cabinet' cards (by chance showing the same image) have a street address marked in pencil, One 'Vauvert Guernsey', and the other 27 Vauvert Rd Guernsey --- The Vauvert address could have been his home address at the time, but it does not feature on any Census details. There was a very good photographer based in Vauvert named W. I. Marquand, but at the time of writing it is not known where in Vauvert Marquand operated from and idea of an association is tenuous as Marquand ceased being a photographer on or before 1881. If the address on the back was the customer's address, there surely would be a customer name and no need to mention 'Guernsey'.
There is also an image of the Vale Mill taken by him shown in the 'VALE' Gallery
No cdv's have surfaced, more than likely due to the fact that most clientele in the1880s and thereafter desired a larger image. He also may not thought it viable to invest in a suitable camera with a smaller negative size to offer these. From studying his photographic images, it is believed Samuel Angel used a half Plate camera 6.5 x 8.5 inches and printed directly from the glass negative.
The first time Samuel is listed as a photographer in the Census is in 1881, before that he was shown as a 'Draper's Shopman'. He is still listed as a photographer 30 years later in the 1911 Census. In the 1881 Census his wife was shown as being born in St Helier Jersey and listed as being an 'Assistant Photographer'; in all other Census years she is shown as having no occupation and being born in St Peter Port Guernsey!
The author has not seen many examples of his work, but the ones he has seen gives the impression of being more than amateur than professional. It is the authors theory that due to the budget unprinted and home made 'Cabinet' cards being used, and plus all photographs seen having a crude black rubber stamp with his name thereon, that his day job may have been a photographers help with a more established business and his own images were an extra money earner, no doubt at a cheaper price than the professionals.
Only two 'Cabinet' cards (by chance showing the same image) have a street address marked in pencil, One 'Vauvert Guernsey', and the other 27 Vauvert Rd Guernsey --- The Vauvert address could have been his home address at the time, but it does not feature on any Census details. There was a very good photographer based in Vauvert named W. I. Marquand, but at the time of writing it is not known where in Vauvert Marquand operated from and idea of an association is tenuous as Marquand ceased being a photographer on or before 1881. If the address on the back was the customer's address, there surely would be a customer name and no need to mention 'Guernsey'.
There is also an image of the Vale Mill taken by him shown in the 'VALE' Gallery
No cdv's have surfaced, more than likely due to the fact that most clientele in the1880s and thereafter desired a larger image. He also may not thought it viable to invest in a suitable camera with a smaller negative size to offer these. From studying his photographic images, it is believed Samuel Angel used a half Plate camera 6.5 x 8.5 inches and printed directly from the glass negative.
Small Child in Cot by Samuel Angel
Ref: 2023-03-19-0003
Location: Guernsey
Photographer: Samuel Angel
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