Joseph Bottomley - Photographer

Joseph Bottomley was born in 1830 he was the son of Miles and Susannah Bottomley of Stainland, near Halifax. His father Miles was a stone mason and Joseph must have learnt the trade from him because by the time the 1851 census was taken both their occupations were being shown as stone masons.

Joseph married Mary Ann Sugden in 1852. Mary Ann’s father was a bookbinder, bookseller and stationer. In fact Joseph was to marry twice and have ten children in all, and this may accounted for the fact that his was continually on the move.

He was one of the first people to to take up professional photography in Bradford and established a photographic studio in Hall Lane in 1855. By 1861 he had moved the studio to 22 Wakefield Road, this was also his home address. The studio and home addresses changed regularly, and sometimes the studio address and the home address were the same. Since the addresses were nearly always shown on the back of his Carte De Visite photos it allows us to date the photos fairly accurately.

The Bradford Photographic Society was formed in 1860 and during the period 1861-1864 Joseph served on the committee.

In 1865 Bottomley was taken to court over the dismissal of an Apprentice. An Indenture had been signed in June 1864 for a three year term and the apprentice and his father alleged that the boy had been given menial tasks instead of being taught the business and that he was assaulted and suddenly dismissed in August of 1865 on the pretence that he had stolen a silver bath. The question was whether the boy had been wrongfully dismissed. The jury awarded the boy damages of one farthing. A Photographers indenture was recently posted on Flickr but unfortunately it has been taken down now. It was an Indenture taken out between a young lad named Henry Hemmins and an Oxford Photographer named Henry William Taunt. In this case the Apprenticeship was for a period of 6 years. The pay given to the Apprentice started at 6 pence per week for the first year and gradually rose to 7 shillings and sixpence in the final year. Besides being responsible for his training, the Photographer was responsible for supplying the boy with 'meat and drink' for six days of the week, but in this particular case not with his lodgings.

On the 30^th March 1865 Joseph gave a presentation at the Thornton's Mechanics Institute using a dissolving view Magic lantern. “On Saturday Evening a series of splendid dissolving views on astronomy, geography, natural history and other social humorous and miscellaneous subject was exhibited in the Kipping old School Room by Mr Joseph Bottomley Photographic Artist Bradford by Means of Two Powerful Magic Lanterns. There was a good audience and the descriptions were particularly interesting.”

In 1868 he moved his studio to Sunbridge. In August he advertised in the local newspaper that his studio at 22, Westgate and Sunbridge. This is curious as the address should have been 22 Wakefield Road and Sunbridge. Was this a mistake by the Newspaper or was Bottomley at 22 Westgate where Thomas Appleton and Henry Berlon had operated from until 1863. There is no indication in any of the local directories that he operated from Westgate, so it probably was a mistake by the newspaper. In October a similar advertisement appeared showing the address as 22 Wakefield Road and not Westgate.

On the afternoon of Friday 28^th January 1870 thousands of people watched as the foundation stone for the new Bradford Mechanics institute was laid. People were on hoardings, rooftops and at windows. A platform had been constructed for the dignitaries including Lord Houghton who was to lay the foundation stone. The Bradford observer reported that "Joseph Bottomley of Sunbridge had constructed a scaffold commanding the scene".... “Twice during the proceedings there was a sort of pose by those immediately around the stone to afford an opportunity for him to obtain a sun picture of the spectacle.”

The 1871 the census shows Joseph with his wife Mary Ann at Rushton Terrace together with their six children. The following year then 1872 his seventh child Albert was born. Joseph moved his studio in 1871 to 72 New Market Street.

An article in the The Graphic on the 20^th September 1873 reported on the opening of the new Bradford town hall. They also published eleven sketches of Bradford landmark buildings and a sketch of the parade in front of the Town Hall. The article acknowledges Bottomley’s contribution. “We have been assisted in some of our sketches by photographs by Mr J. Bottomley of Bradford”

Sometime between 1871 and 1876 Joseph took a portrait photograph of the one of the most well known Bradford Industrialists Sir Titus Salt. The portrait shows Sir Titus seated looking left holding a glove in his right hand. (This is not the photograph shown here)

The card stock for some of Joseph's Carte De Visites was bought from a London based company Marion & Co. The design shown right is referred to as Bamboo and Roses and based upon research carried out by Roger Vaughan it was introduced in 1874. The Photograph of the Town Hall was therefore taken around this time and it is possible that this may be the first photograph ever taken of the Town Hall just after its completion. In fact a careful study of the Photo reveals a platform constructed at the front of the building and what looks like a builders compound on the right. As Joseph had operated from his studio at New Market Street since 1871 he would have watched the construction of the building. The studio was on the rooftop of the building on the left hand side of this photo. A more detailed view of the studio can be seen at the bottom of his page.

In 1875 the family moved home to 980 Leeds Road and this address along with the New Market Street address began to appear on the backs of Josephs photos.

When the eldest son Thomas got Married to Mary Hannah West in 1879 his address was 372 Manchester Road and his occupation is shown as photographer.

The 1881 census shows his daughter Ann Eliza aged 22, occupation photographers assistant, one of his sons James aged 19 was a dentists apprentice. Both Josephs eldest son Thomas and eldest daughter took up career in photography.

On the 20^th December 1879 Thomas married Mary Hannah West. On the marriage certificate the Bottomley family are shown to be living at 372 Manchester Road. This address also appears in the 1881 edition of Kelly’s Directory.

Between 1881 and 1883 the business operated from 7 North Parade and as can be seen on the last photo on the page which is dated 1883 both North Parade and 980 Leeds Road were being used. So it is possible that Thomas may have run the studio at North Parade whilst living at Manchester Road and his father Joseph operated from home at 980 Leeds Road. This photo also confirms the date the business was established which was 1855.

Joseph attended a meeting in 1884 with the Chamber of Commerce and the Chairman of the Railway Committee to lobby for a weekly pass to be introduced for railway passengers. Apparently the cost of workmen travelling back and forth to Bradford was excessive and it was resulting in them taking up lodgings in Bradford during the week rather than travel every day. He put forward the idea of introducing a photograph on each weekly pass in order to reduce the fraudulent of the pass. It is not clear as to whether this idea was ever adopted.

Joseph was travelling on a train from Leeds to Bradford when two trains came into contact with each other at Laisterdyke railway station during a thick mist. Some of the windows in the train were smashed and passengers were thrown from their seats. Joseph suffered from a cut above the temple. Some passengers returned home on the next train and some continued their journey . A local newspaper concluded that “The blame is, and perhaps properly, laid upon the mist, which cannot suffer from the charge”

Bottomley took many pictures of local events and public buildings. William Scruton in his book Pen and Pencil Pictures of Old Bradford first published in 1889 also acknowledges Bottomley “ Mr Bottomley, Photographer, has been very successful in commemorating some recent public events, such as the ceremony of laying the foundation stone of the Town Hall, the uncovering of the Lister Statue, etc

When the Town Hall was opened the front of the building was lit up from 8pm until 11pm, by Limelight. A report in the Graphic says that the building was lit by limelight and that ten lights were used from the other side of Market Street from the Mechanics Institute to Mr Bottomley’s photographic establishment.

Mary Ann Bottomley died in 1886, she had eight children.

Sometime shortly afterwards Joseph wound his business up in Bradford and moved to Epworth in Lincolnshire where he married Mary Keightley from Goole who was 27 years younger than him. They had two children, Emma and Marian, bringing the total number of Josephs children to ten.

The 1891 census shows Joseph aged 61 still a photographer and artist and the family employing both a domestic servant and nurse. By 1901 they were still living at Epworth and Josephs granddaughter, Elsie, aged 13, was staying with them. Elsie was the daughter of Josephs daughter Susannah who had married William Astley.

Joseph died in 1909 and is buried in Epworth Cemetery.