| Photographer | Arthur Debenham | |
| Active Period | c1868 - c1925 | |
| Lifespan | Born: 1845 Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk | Died: 1936 Bournemouth, Hants |
| Studio Addresses | 6 The Arcade, Union Street, Ryde (c1868) 28 Union Street, Ryde (from 1871) 72 High Street, Cowes 71 High Street, Sandown |
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| Associates | Edwin Debenham (brother) Arthur William Debenham (son) |
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| Trade History | 1875 Kelly's Directory IOW Arthur Debenham, photographer, 28 Union Street, Ryde 1898 Kelly's Directory IOW (page
455) 1899 Kelly's Directory of Hampshire & IOW (page 947) 1910 Kelly's Directory IOW 1915 Kelly's Directory IOW (page 1089) 1921-22 Kelly's Directory of IOW (page 729) 1924-25 Kelly's Directory of IOW (page 485) 1927 Kelly's
Directory IOW (page 1105) |
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| Awards | 1889 - Odiham Exhibition - silver medal for marine photography (see press report below) | |
| Photographic Evidence Found |
1882 - annotated date of photo (3 Aug 1882) with address 'Debenham & Co, Rembrandt House, High Street, Sandown' 1899 - annotated date of photo (18 Nov 1899) having negative number 62811-1 1903 - annotated date of photo - see below |
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| Examples of Photographs, Trade Cards, Adverts, etc |
 An advertisement from the IW Observer 19 September 1903
My thanks to Angela McMurtry (Queensland) for the above photo. The photo is annotated "HRH Queen Alexandra aboard my Great Grandfather's ship at Portsmouth, Aug 1903". Angela is puzzled by the appearance of this photo in her family album and would like to hear from anyone who can identify the ship or the event. <angelamciow@talktalk.net> Footnote: the ship is likely to have been the Royal Yacht Victoria & Albert III. |
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| Family History | ||
| Further Notes | We have great pleasure in
noticing that our townsman, Mr Arthur Debenham, of the Royal Victoria
Arcade, has had the honor of taking photographs of the Royal Palace at
Osborne. One taken by him on Saturday last he has presented to us, and we
may remark that it is an exceedingly beautiful photograph, combining such
softness and delicate detail with a brilliancy and force only to be found in
the works of the most talented masters of the photographic art. The picture
represents the north side of the Palace, embracing the east and west wings,
with the towers, the clock tower rising prominently in front, the upper and
lower terraces, with the elegantly laid-out gardens in the foreground. We
have before seen works by the same hand well worthy of notice, but have
refrained from commenting upon them. - IW Observer, 15 August 1868
MR. ARTHUR DEBENHAM
wishes to direct attention to his Crayon and other enlargements, which
invariably give satisfaction. Specimens can be seen at his studio.
Any Photograph, Painting, Daguerreotype, or Miniature can be copied and enlarged,
and a valuable picture produced therefrom in either Crayon, Water Colors[sic], or Oils.
A PHOTOGRAPHIC VIEW OF THE GRAND DEMONSTRATION on Tuesday was taken by our townsman,
Mr. Arthur Debenham, of the Arcade. The view is taken from a room window of the Pier Hotel,
and, not only as a well-finished work of art, but as a production of local interest, it is
exceedingly valuable. Although, in the dense crowd, the figures must necessarily be of a
miniature nature, yet we are able to discover several prominent gentlemen, among whom are
the Mayor (in his robes), Messrs. T. Dashwood, Harrington, J. and C. Colenutt, and others,
as the processionists are on the point of dispersing. With the aid of a magnifying glass,
a perfect picture is vividly brought out, and we are assured that the nominal price of this
exceedingly interesting carte-de-visite will secure for itself a large demand. Mr. Arthur Debenham, photographer and miniature painter, of the Arcade,
has just opened his photographic studio at 28 Union-street, Ryde, and the
beautiful specimens of life-like portraits on procelain, in all colours &c.,
are subjects of very favourable comment by all who favour themselves with
half an hour's inspection of this establishment.
VIEWS OF THE ARCTIC SHIPS. - Mr. A Debenham, of
Union-street, is now exhibiting views of the Alert and Discovery taken by
him from on board the Heather Bell, as they rounded the Island.
Amateur Theatricals at the Club House. -
In connection with the above [report on Entertainment at Mount Street], we are pleased
to notice that at the conclusion of the performance our neighbour, Mr Arthur Debenham,
photographed the characters in their costumes with his usual artistic abilities, thus
providing a lasting record of the interesting occasion, by means of his newly perfected artificial light apparatus.
THE CROWN PRINCE -
A propos
of the prevailing topic of the illness of the Crown Prince of Germany,
Mr. Arthur Debenham has a splendid portrait of His Imperial Highness exhibited
in the window of his studio in Union-street. WEST COWES ... PHOTOGRAPHY - A very handsome silver
medal has been forwarded to Mr Debenham, of West Cowes, from the Odiham Exhibition. The
medal in question was given by Messrs Mawson and Swan for instantaneous
marine photography, and bears the arms of the borough, with a suitable
inscription. One day this week Mr. Debenham photographed the staff of the Post Office in the
Terrace Gardens. There were about 60 of them, including several lady telegraphists. Two of the magnificent Spanish Bullocks, which reside in the park at Osborne,
and are the property of the Queen, will be immortalised in the form of a piece of sculpture.
Miss Chaplain, the well-known sculptress, has received a commission to execute this work.
The animals, distinguished for their enormous horns, will be modelled in a group.
They are the same animals that Mr. Debenham has photographed and now shows at his establishment
in Union Street. Messrs. Hughes and Mullins are now exhibiting at their well-known establishment, a picture in crayons,
representing the “Morning Star,” one of the most admired of the tableaux vivants, at the Town Hall.
It is a difficult subject to depict, but it is treated very artistically. Mr. Debenham also exhibits
interesting photos of others of the same series of tableaux vivants. Our well-known townsman, Mr A Debenham,
in addition to improving the front of his establishment and making it one
of the most handsomest windows in Union Street, has just enlarged and improved
his studio, by increasing its height, and by adding a balcony to it. There is
not merely a splendid view of Spithead from the studio, but a magnificent north light. The Roll of Ministering Children - Mr. A. Debenham, 28 Union-street, Ryde, has been
officially appointed the agent for taking the portraits of the children of this district who
are anxious to be enrolled. The object of the movement is to encourage children, and those
under 21, to begin to collect the hospital stamps that are being brought out yearly in support
of the Prince of Wales's Hospital Fund, by forming an historical record of those who first
assist in this charitable work.
The great roll is being compiled by Messrs. F. and R. Speaight, photographers, 178 Regent-street,
London, W., and their agents throughout the United Kingdom, and will consist of the portrait and
name of the first 1000,000 children who possess the 6d. hospital stamp album with the 1897 1s.
and 2s.6d. stamps fixed therein. It is intended to offer the roll, when completed, to H.R.H. the
Prince of Wales, in order that he may know and be able to keep, as a permanent record in the Royal
Archives, the portraits and names of those young persons who thus first assisted him in his good
work of helping the hospitals in commemoration of Her Majesty's reign of 60 years. Mr. A. DEBENHAM, a well-known photographer of Ryde, was commanded to
attend on board the Royal Yacht Victoria and Albert, off Cowes on Thursday,
when he had the honour of photographing the King and Queen, and secured
excellent portraits of their Majesties in yachting costumes. My thanks to Ann Barrett and Diana Wood for locating the above articles. |
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