Bedford Lemere
Encyclopedia
Bedford Lemere & Co was a firm of British architectural photographers active in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century.
Bedford Lemere & Co. was the leading English firm of architectural photographers between 1870 and 1930, and pioneered the photography of new buildings. Their images captured the use of new technologies such as the motor car, electric light and motion pictures and the introduction of the steel frame and reinforced concrete which revolutionised architecture.
Bedford Lemere & Co's client list was wide-ranging; they worked for anyone that needed architectural photography: property companies, estate agents, decorators, businesses needing photographs of their premises or house-owners who wanted photographs of their homes. Bedford Lemere & Co photographed buildings by notable architects; John Norton (architect)
, Matthew Digby Wyatt
, Ernest George
, Ernest George
, Harold Peto
, Arthur Blomfield
, and Alfred Waterhouse
.
The firm was also particularly well known for photographs of cruise ship interiors, customers including Canadian Pacific Line, Cunard Line
, Orient Lines
, Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company
, Union-Castle Line
and White Star Line
; many of these are now in the collection of the National Maritime Museum
in London.
The firm also had premises in Manchester between 1875 and 1877, and kept a strong presence in the North West and Scotland for 40 years. This included working with Gillow’s of Lancaster and S J Waring & Sons of Liverpool, and the subsequent Waring & Gillow firm of furnishers and decorators, established in 1897 following their merger. Bedford Lemere went on to photograph the Waring & Gillow’s munitions factories during the First World War.
Henry Bedford Lemere received the Hood medal from the Royal Photographic Society
in 1941.
After closing the studio at 147 Strand in 1947, the firm moved to 3 Park Lane, Croydon. It closed in 1967.
in its public archive in Swindon. The collection is by far the most important surviving collection of its work. This includes 21,800 large-format glass negatives, and around 3,000 prints. The collection also includes some albums and day books, which give a unique insight into the company’s activities
English Heritage is undertaking a major project to conserve, catalogue and scan the Bedford Lemere & Co collection of negatives, with the aim of making the images accessible on the internet. Over 7,000 can already be seen, free of charge. Small caches of Bedford Lemere & Co’s photographs are held elsewhere including at the Royal Institute of British Architects
, the V&A, the National Maritime Museum
and the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland
.
History
The company was established by Bedford Lemere (born 1839, died 1911) in 1861, with its studio at 147 Strand, London from 1867 to 1947. His son Henry (also known as Harry) Bedford Lemere (born 1865, died 1944) joined the firm in 1881 and was one of the best known photographers, and the principal person behind the firm in its heyday.Bedford Lemere & Co. was the leading English firm of architectural photographers between 1870 and 1930, and pioneered the photography of new buildings. Their images captured the use of new technologies such as the motor car, electric light and motion pictures and the introduction of the steel frame and reinforced concrete which revolutionised architecture.
Bedford Lemere & Co's client list was wide-ranging; they worked for anyone that needed architectural photography: property companies, estate agents, decorators, businesses needing photographs of their premises or house-owners who wanted photographs of their homes. Bedford Lemere & Co photographed buildings by notable architects; John Norton (architect)
John Norton (architect)
John Norton was an English architect who designed country houses, churches and a number of commercial buildings. He was born and educated in Bristol...
, Matthew Digby Wyatt
Matthew Digby Wyatt
Sir Matthew Digby Wyatt was a British architect and art historian who became Secretary of the Great Exhibition, Surveyor of the East India Company and the first Slade Professor of Fine Art at the University of Cambridge.-Life:...
, Ernest George
Ernest George
Sir Ernest George RA was an English architect, landscape and architectural watercolour painter, and etcher.-Life and work:...
, Ernest George
Ernest George
Sir Ernest George RA was an English architect, landscape and architectural watercolour painter, and etcher.-Life and work:...
, Harold Peto
Harold Peto
Harold Ainsworth Peto was a British landscape architect and garden designer, who worked in Britain and in Provence, France.-Biography:...
, Arthur Blomfield
Arthur Blomfield
Sir Arthur William Blomfield was an English architect.-Background:The fourth son of Charles James Blomfield, an Anglican Bishop of London helpfully began a programme of new church construction in the capital. Born in Fulham Palace, Arthur Blomfield was educated at Rugby and Trinity College,...
, and Alfred Waterhouse
Alfred Waterhouse
Alfred Waterhouse was a British architect, particularly associated with the Victorian Gothic Revival architecture. He is perhaps best known for his design for the Natural History Museum in London, and Manchester Town Hall, although he also built a wide variety of other buildings throughout the...
.
The firm was also particularly well known for photographs of cruise ship interiors, customers including Canadian Pacific Line, Cunard Line
Cunard Line
Cunard Line is a British-American owned shipping company based at Carnival House in Southampton, England and operated by Carnival UK. It has been a leading operator of passenger ships on the North Atlantic for over a century...
, Orient Lines
Orient Lines
Orient Lines was a cruise line specialising in exotic destinations that was in operation 1993—2008. The brand was founded in 1993 by Gerry Herrod, who had previously owned Ocean Cruise Lines. Orient Lines was sold to Norwegian Cruise Line in 1998, and ceased operations in March 2008.The brand was...
, Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company
Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company
The Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company, which is usually known as P&O, is a British shipping and logistics company which dated from the early 19th century. Following its sale in March 2006 to Dubai Ports World for £3.9 billion, it became a subsidiary of DP World; however, the P&O...
, Union-Castle Line
Union-Castle Line
The Union-Castle Line was a prominent British shipping line that operated a fleet of passenger liners and cargo ships between Europe and Africa from 1900 to 1977. It was formed from the merger of the Union Line and Castle Shipping Line...
and White Star Line
White Star Line
The Oceanic Steam Navigation Company or White Star Line of Boston Packets, more commonly known as the White Star Line, was a prominent British shipping company, today most famous for its ill-fated vessel, the RMS Titanic, and the World War I loss of Titanics sister ship Britannic...
; many of these are now in the collection of the National Maritime Museum
National Maritime Museum
The National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, England is the leading maritime museum of the United Kingdom and may be the largest museum of its kind in the world. The historic buildings forming part of the Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site, it also incorporates the Royal Observatory, Greenwich,...
in London.
The firm also had premises in Manchester between 1875 and 1877, and kept a strong presence in the North West and Scotland for 40 years. This included working with Gillow’s of Lancaster and S J Waring & Sons of Liverpool, and the subsequent Waring & Gillow firm of furnishers and decorators, established in 1897 following their merger. Bedford Lemere went on to photograph the Waring & Gillow’s munitions factories during the First World War.
Henry Bedford Lemere received the Hood medal from the Royal Photographic Society
Royal Photographic Society
The Royal Photographic Society is the world's oldest national photographic society. It was founded in London, United Kingdom in 1853 as The Photographic Society of London with the objective of promoting the Art and Science of Photography...
in 1941.
After closing the studio at 147 Strand in 1947, the firm moved to 3 Park Lane, Croydon. It closed in 1967.
Works
The majority of Bedford Lemere & Co's surviving photographs are cared for by English Heritage in its public archive. Over a quarter of the firm’s output, estimated at 100,000 images, is held by English HeritageEnglish Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
in its public archive in Swindon. The collection is by far the most important surviving collection of its work. This includes 21,800 large-format glass negatives, and around 3,000 prints. The collection also includes some albums and day books, which give a unique insight into the company’s activities
English Heritage is undertaking a major project to conserve, catalogue and scan the Bedford Lemere & Co collection of negatives, with the aim of making the images accessible on the internet. Over 7,000 can already be seen, free of charge. Small caches of Bedford Lemere & Co’s photographs are held elsewhere including at the Royal Institute of British Architects
Royal Institute of British Architects
The Royal Institute of British Architects is a professional body for architects primarily in the United Kingdom, but also internationally.-History:...
, the V&A, the National Maritime Museum
National Maritime Museum
The National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, England is the leading maritime museum of the United Kingdom and may be the largest museum of its kind in the world. The historic buildings forming part of the Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site, it also incorporates the Royal Observatory, Greenwich,...
and the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland
Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland
The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland is an executive non-departmental public body of the Scottish Government 'sponsored' [financed and with oversight] through Historic Scotland, an executive agency of the Scottish Government...
.
Publications
- Nicholas Cooper, The Opulent Eye: Late Victorian and Edwardian Taste in Interior Design, ISBN 0823074021
- Nicholas Cooper, The Photography of Bedford Lemere & Co, ISBN 9781848020610
External
- http://www.englishheritagearchives.org.uk/results/resultsaj.aspx?t=Quick&cr=bedford+lemere+&+CO&io=True&l=all Over 7,000 Bedford Lemere & Co images online from English Heritage
- http://www.flickr.com/search/?w=all&q=English+Heritage+Bedford+Lemere&m=text Other Beford Lemere & Co images