Alfred Bracewell

A friend came across some rather good Magic Lantern Slides marked 'Alfred Bracewell, Bradford', I later bought these not knowing their age or who Alfred Bracewell was, as he did not appear in any of the lists of Professional Photographers. So the search began to find out who he was and as much as possible about the slides themselves. I began by searching on google, this brought up a few things to start with.

The first most noticeable thing was a reference to a submission to the Royal Photographic Societies exhibition in 1910 by Alfred Bracewell and Mrs Marie Bracewell. A picture entitled Après, a carbon print, which was also available to buy at 42/-. It was submitted in the pictorial section. Alfred and Marie Bracewell's address was given as 20 Heaton Grove, Bradford. It is worth noting that Alex Keighley was a member of the selecting and hanging committee.

Family Background

A look at the 1911 census also shows the Bracewells at 20 Heaton Grove. Alfred's occupation is shown as an Asbestos Manufacturer, so it would seem that he wasn't a professional photographer. His wife's name in the census is Mary Ellen Bracewell not Marie, as stated in the RPS document. Some of their children also appeared in the census they were Maude Bracewell, single, occupation Actress, aged 26, Geoffrey Alfred Bracewell, single, Analytical Chemist, Pauline Marie Bracewell, single aged 18 and visitor Norfolk Abraham Woodwiss, Solicitors articled clerk, aged 17 from Paignton (He would eventually become Pauline's husband). Alfred was born in Colne, Alfred's wife Mary Ellen in Accrington, Maude in Colne but Geoffrey Alfred in Bradford. So it would appear that the family had moved to Bradford sometime before 1889 which was Geoffrey's birth year.

Looking into the Family history Alfred was the son of Watson Bracewell a Cotton manufacturer in Colne and in Foulridge, Lancs, when Watson died in 1880 his wife Elizabeth appears to have taken over the business at first (Ref 1881 census) but she died in 1881 and then the mills must have been handed over to their four sons. The sons formed a partnership, however Alfred is reported to have pulled out of the partnership by 1889 (ref Manchester Courier 16 th Aug 1889) Some of the looms were put up for sale in 1887 and also a report in Burnley Express 21st Nov 1891 refers to the Bracewell's pulling out of Foulridge fifteen months earlier. So it would appear, at first sight, that the business wasn't going well. All four of the Bracewell brothers had been educated at Fulneck School near Pudsey, Leeds.

Northern Photographic Exhibition.

Alfred and his wife also exhibited in 1907 at the Northern Photographic Exhibition Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool. This was an exhibition arranged by Liverpool Amateur Photographic Association in conjunction with the Manchester Amateur Photographic Society and The Leeds Camera Club. They submitted four pictures, 64 Pauline (name of their daughter – This picture was not for sale) , 618 Mischief (£1 1s), 399 Good Luck (£1 1s), and 274 Sand Dunes (10/6). Alex Keighley also exhibited four photographs. La Riva (£3 10s), The Bridge (£5 5s), The campanile – Chioggia (£6 6s) and The Alms House – Wells (£5 5s). There were also submissions from J Craig Annan and Horsley Hinton and many others. Because the Exhibition was supported by The Leeds Camera Club there were several contributors from Leeds including Arthur Banks, A Dawson Berry, Thos Carter, C A Cohen, J R Coulson – Pudsey, H Crossley – Rodley, A Edwards, Howard G Grainger, Charles B Howdill , F G Issott, T Jackson and Wm Spink.

The Bracewells also exhibited at Sheffield photographic societies annual exhibition in 1908. The Sheffield Independent 1st April 1908 had this to say. “The whole tone of the section devoted to portraiture, figure studies and animals has been raised by two exquisite pictures the work of Mr and Mrs Bracewell of Bradford, They are two of the gems of the exhibition. One is entitled 'A Reverie' and the other 'Grey Moments' They are delicate studies, delicate like in composition, lighting and tone graduation.“

More exhibits at the Royal Photographic Exhibition

Also at the 1908 RPS exhibition Alfred exhibited A Reverie (same picture as at Sheffield) and Alfred and his wife M E Bracewell exhibited La Sérénade

Again in 1909 Alfred and 'Marie' Bracewell had a picture exhibited at the RPS Exhibition, this time it was A Portrait of Miss Maude Bracewell, Carbon, 50/- As mentioned above Maude was their daughter and an Actress.

Contributions to The Photographic Monthly

A portrait of Alex Keighley by Alfred and Mrs Bracewell, published in the Photographic Monthly 1910.

This was a publication produced by Henry Snowden Ward.

Alex Keighley was another more well known amateur photographer who had connections with the Bradford Photographic Society (Past President), the Royal Photographic Society (Awarded Honorary F.R.P.S.) and the Yorkshire Photographic Union (President 1909-1910 and 1920-1947). He was one of the leading lights in the Pictorial Movement and has had at least three books written about him, which is certainly a tribute to the man and his work.

Alfred was a regular contributor to The Photographic Monthly during this period. On 28th May 1910 the Croyden Advertiser said “The Photographic Monthly, (The Photogram) The Photographic Monthly or June opens with 'A chat about portraiture' by the well know pictorial worker, Alfred Bracewell in which advice is given on portraiture with the aim of securing typical expressions of the persons photographed“

President of the Bradford Photographic Society

More searching revealed a reference in the British Journal Photographic Almanac 1910

Bradford Photographic Society – Pres – A. Bracewell, Meetings Arts Club Mondays 8pm. Sec W E Townend 14 Manchester Road, Bradford.

By the 1930s Alfred and his wife had moved to Tranmere Park in Guiseley, Leeds. Alfred died in 1939.

The sitters

It is clear that Alfred and Mrs Bracewell asked their daughters certainly Maude and possibly Pauline to sit for them and to use their portraits in exhibitions. Perhaps it was the original intention just to take a series of family photos but they were so good that Alfred or his wife thought them worthy of showing to others. It is possible of course that the two portraits shown here could be of Pauline or Maude.

More photos by Alfred Bracewell can be found on the Flick site