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| Frederick
Barber was
born on 28 March 1838 at Sheffield in Yorkshire, one of six children -
three
sons
and three daughters - of John Barber and Ann Skelton, the Barber family
being originally from Bradwell in Derbyshire. It is probable
that
Frederick Barber trained as a photographer in London, where his brother
Benjamin was living in 1861, and where several of his early photographs
were taken. He returned to Sheffield in about 1866, and is
first
shown in White's 1868 trade directory working as a photographer from
premises at 61 West Street. Frederick Barber's cousin Joshua Evans
(1831-1907) - son of his father's
sister, Sarah Barber - was also working as a photographer at this time,
i.e. circa 1869, although in the village of Bradwell.
Frederick married Emma Harvey in Derby but they continued to live in Sheffield. They had at least three children: a son William John who died young, daughter Sabina Ann (who later married Richard Kinchant), and son William Harvey, who was born in 1870. At this time they were living at Primrose House, Walkley, near Sheffield, and had studio premises at 1 East Parade. The census taken in April 1871, however, indicates that they had moved to 2 Townend Street, Sheffield, and through the remainder of the 1870s they moved house several times, although the studio remained at the same address. The 1881 census shows the family living at Upper End in Baslow-with-Bubnell, west of Chesterfield in Derbyshire, with Frederick describing himself as a photographer. It seems likely that he only spent a brief period in Baslow, perhaps cashing in on trade associated with the Baslow Hydropathic Establishment, which had been opened earlier that year. White's 1884 directory shows Frederick back in Sheffield, living at 25 Moor Oaks, and with a new studio, The Castle Photographic Rooms, located at 17 Castle Street. In 1887 and 1888, the studio had moved to 1 Orchard Street, while the family was now living at 23 Aldred Road. By April 1891, Frederick, Emma and William Barber had moved to Matlock, and were living at The Beeches in Church Street. Frederick's nephew John Charles Barber, in the mean time, had moved into their old house at 23 Aldred Road. Frederick described himself as an "Artist & Photographer", while William was now working as a photographer's assistant. A cabinet card taken some time in the 1880s (see below) shows Frederick Barber with a studio at 1 Orchard Street, Church Street, Sheffield. The subject of this photo lived in Matlock from at least 1884 until her death in 1888, so it is possible that it was taken by Barber after his move to Matlock, using old card stock. By 1895 (Kelly) William H. Barber had taken over the running of the studio, now on Bank Road, Matlock Bank, from his father, and continued to operate it until at least April 1901, when his father was shown in the census as a "photographic dealer." W.H. Barber was briefly in partnership with a photographer named Smith, as shown by a single cabinet card (see below) from the early 1900s. It is possible that he also either employed or was in partnership with a Joseph Drake, who was living a few doors away at the time of the 1901 Census. Joseph Drake was born c. 1864 at Huddersfield, Yorkshire, and by April 1891 was already working as a photographic artist in Matlock, although it is not clear who he worked with or was his employer at that time. |
| Portfolio |
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Unidentified
woman by F. Barber of 61 West Street, Sheffield Undated, but probably taken c. 1866-1868 Format: Carte de visite Size: Mount 63 x 106 mm Photo 58.5 x 88.5 mm Image © & collection of Brett Payne Notes: |
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Unidentified
man by F. Barber of 77 South St. Moor, Sheffield Undated, but probably taken during the early 1870s Format: Carte de visite Image © & courtesy of Fiona Wilson Notes: |
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Unidentified
man by F. Barber of Church Gates, Sheffield Undated, but probably taken during the mid-1870s Format: Carte de visite Size: Mount 63 x 105 mm Image © & courtesy of Fiona Wilson Notes: |
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Possibly
Marian Barber (born 1874) by F. Barber of Church Gates, East Parade, Sheffield Undated, but probably taken c. 1878 Format: Carte de visite Size: Mount 63 x 105 mm Image © & courtesy of Fiona Wilson Notes by FH: I think this might well be my great-grandmother, Marian BARBER (the photographer's niece) on the occasion of her christening which took place in December 1878 when she was 4 (at the same time as her sister, Florence who was a couple of years younger). There isn't a (surviving) photo of both girls though, and I suppose that it could be of Florence, not Marian, or even of someone else altogether! The main reason that I think it is more likely to be Marian is that in later life her husband, when talking about their granddaughter Christina who was then a toddler, compared Christina to a photo he had seen of his wife Marian when she was a baby/girl. This photo is the only one from Marian's album that fits and does look like photos of my mum (the Christina mentioned above) as a toddler. To be fair though, it's still a guess that it is Marian and the occasion of the christening is also a guess, but might explain the pale dress (although not really dressed for winter, but perhaps in an indoor studio it didn't matter!), curled hair and holding a book (a bible/prayer book?). |
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Unidentified
young woman by F. Barber of 1, East Parade High St, Church Gates, Sheffield Undated, but probably taken during the late 1870s or early 1880s Format: Carte de visite Size: Mount 63 x 105 mm Image © & courtesy of Fiona Wilson Notes: |
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Unidentified
boy by F. Barber of 1, East Parade High St, Church Gates, Sheffield Undated, but probably taken during the late 1870s or early 1880s Format: Carte de visite Size: Mount 62.5 x 105 mm Photo 57.5 x 97 mm Image © & collection of Brett Payne Notes |
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Possibly
identified as John
Gray Richardson (1849-1924) taken by F. Barber of 1 East Parade, High Street, Sheffield Undated, but probably taken during the mid- to late 1870s Format: Carte de visite Image © & courtesy of Fiona Wilson Notes: |
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Unidentified
residential street scene, probably in Sheffield
by Fredk. Barber of 61 West St, Sheffield Undated, but probably taken between 1866 and 1870 Format: Stereoscopic Card Image © & courtesy of John Bradley Nothing further is known about this photograph |
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Eliza
Dorothy Doxey née
Howe (1807-1888)
by Fredk. Barber of 1 Orchard St., Church Street, Sheffield Undated, but possibly taken in the early 1880s Format: Cabinet Card Size: 107 x 165 mm Image © & courtesy of John Palmer Further information about Eliza Doxey and her family, may be found on John's Wirksworth Web Site. |
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Unidentified
gentleman
by Fredk. Barber of Bank Road, Matlock Undated Format: Carte de visite Size: 105 x 63 mm Image ©
& courtesy
of John
Palmer
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| Grand
Drawing Room,
Smedley's Hydropathic Establishment, Matlock Bridge
by Fredk. Barber of Bank Road, Matlock, Undated Format: Carte de visite Size: 105 x 63 mm Image © & courtesy of John Palmer. Nothing further is known about this photo. |
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| Drawing
Room, Smedley's
Hydropathic Establishment, Matlock Bridge
by Fredk. Barber of The Matlock Studio, Bank Road, Matlock, Date unknown Format: Carte-de-visite Image © & courtesy of John Bradley Nothing further is known about this photo. |
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Alfred
Doxey (1865-1933)
and his bicycle
by Fredk. Barber of Matlock taken c. 1889-1890 Format: Cabinet Card Size: 107 x 165 mm Mount is very dark green card with gold bevelled edges and gold lettering Image © & courtesy of John Palmer Further information about Alfred Doxey, his bicycle, and his family, may be found on John's Wirksworth Web Site. |
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Annie
& Lucy
Doxey
by W. Harvey Barber of Bank Road, Matlock Undated Format: Cabinet Card Size: 107 x 165 mm Image ©
& courtesy
of John
Palmer
Nothing further is known about this photo. |
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Jack Doxey
(b. 1903)
by Barber & Smith of Bank Road, Matlock Undated, but probably taken c. 1906-1908 Format: Cabinet Card Size: 107 x 165 mm Image © & courtesy of John Palmer Nothing further is known about this photo. |
| References
Images and information kindly provided by Brett Payne, Peter Evans, Fiona Wilson, John Palmer & John Bradley Information kindly provided by Fiona Wilson from her own research and from the family collection of photographs Baslow, Derbyshire - on Ann Andrews' Matlock & Matlock Bath web site 1881 UK Census - online from the LDS church 1891 & 1901 UK Census - online from Ancestry.com FreeBMD Anon (1881) Kelly's Directory of Derbyshire, Kelly & Co., London. Anon (1887) Kelly's Directory of Derbyshire, Kelly & Co., London. Anon (1891) Kelly's Directory of Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Rutland & Nottinghamshire, Kelly & Co., London. University of Leicester's Digital Library of Historical Directories Anon (1895) Kelly's Directory of Derbyshire, Kelly & Co. Limited, London. Anon (1895) History, Topography, and Directory of Derbyshire, T. Bulmer & Co. - by kind courtesy of Sonia Addis-Smith Anon (1899) Kelly's Directory of Derbyshire, Kelly & Co., London. University of Leicester's Digital Library of Historical Directories Anon (1912) Kelly's Directory of Derbyshire 1912, Kelly's Directories Ltd., London. |
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