Photographic portrait archive
25,000 portrait photographs
The Gallery of Costume is delighted to have been awarded a generous grant from the Getty Foundation to enable us to sort, organise and make accessible our photographic archive to support research and scholarship through web access.
The photograph collection forms part of the significant library and archive accumulated by Drs C Willett and Phillis Cunnington during the 1930s. Since 1947 when Manchester Corporation acquired the archives, they have been considerably expanded and are now the most comprehensive specialist resource for dress study outside London.
The archive of images comprises over 25,000 portrait photographs dating from the 1840s onwards, although the bulk of the photographs are from the period 1860 - 1914. Many of the images are from photographic studios, with formal backdrops and careful lighting, but others are taken outdoors by travelling photographers. Although many sitters are middle class or aristocratic, they sometimes chose to have their portraits in sporting or riding dress, or else showing their profession, such as clergymen or school teachers. Other, rarer images are of labouring people, including servants or nurses, and rural and urban workers. One particular highlight of the collection is an important album dating from 1865 showing fifty images of female Welsh Iron workers from Tregedar in their working dress.
Selections from the larger collection on flickr
See a larger selection from the Photographic portrait archive on our flickr pages.
The collectors
The Cunningtons collected material from all across Britain, and the photographs reflect this eclectic impulse. There are however a number which relate to North West photographers, and specifically to Manchester. Significant Manchester photographers represented include: Robert Banks (late 1870s), John Barrow (1880s), Warwick Brooks (1860s), Enos and Silas Eastham (late 1860s), John Leech (early 1860s), Lachan McLachlan (1860s) and Rogersons (1860s).
We are only at the start of this project that will go on until November 2009, and we will be working behind the scenes to create digital images and records of the collection for publication to this website, adding more information as we go along. We will also consult with the public, and with our users, to ensure that we produce interpretative material that is appropriate for students, researchers and general interest.
If you would like more information or to give us some feedback on our work please contact Miles Lambert, Senior Manager.
Tel: +44 (0) 161 224 5217
Email: m.lambert@manchester.gov.uk
Collection themes
