Dates: | 1819 (ca. 1800 Getty ULAN / Auer) (1821 Grove Art Online) - 1863 | Born: | Great Britain, London | Died: | Spain, Madrid | Active: | Spain | English photographer active in Spain where he settled from 1852 onwards and was court photographer to Queen Isabella II. His wife, Jane, was also a talented photographer.Preparing biographies Clifford, a Welshman, made his whole photographic career in Madrid, where he started at least by 1850, calling himself the “Photografito inglés.” He primarily photographed the architecture of Spain and by 1858 had been appointed the official photographer to Queen Isabel II. In this capacity Clifford documented her journeys and the massive building projects undertaken during her reign. Clifford’s wife, Jane, photographed the holdings of the Royal Armory and other precious royal objects. Most of this work was on collodion, but early in his career Clifford made both daguerreotypes and calotypes. In the 1854 exhibition of the Photographic Society in London, Clifford submitted ten views of Spanish architecture, three of them specifically identified as calotypes. Clifford disappeared from Spain in 1854, and the most likely explanation is also an intriguing one. There exists a group of waxed-paper negatives taken in the Crimea - not of the action of war, which because of the long exposure times required would have been impossible, but rather studies of the battlefields - and these can probably be attributed to Clifford. They are particularly poignant, some showing orderly rows of men and equipment before an engagement, others depicting turmoil and disarray in the aftermath of battle. Clifford also photographed in Istanbul, most likely on his way to or from the Crimea, and in 1855 he visited Paris and began exhibiting there. Clifford died an early death, at the height of his photographic powers. Roger Taylor & Larry J. Schaaf Impressed by Light: British Photographs from Paper Negatives, 1840-1860 (Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 2007) This biography is courtesy and copyright of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and is included here with permission. Date last updated: 4 Nov 2012.
SHARED BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION PROJECT We welcome institutions and scholars willing to test the sharing of biographies for the benefit of the photo-history community. The biography above is a part of this trial. If you find any errors please email us details so they can be corrected as soon as possible. |
|
| Premium content for those who want to understand photography | References are available for subscribers.There is so much more to explore when you subscribe. Subscriptions
| | Portraits If you have a portrait of this photographer or know of the whereabouts of one we would be most grateful. alan@luminous-lint.com |
Family history If you are related to this photographer and interested in tracking down your extended family we can place a note here for you to help. It is free and you would be amazed who gets in touch. alan@luminous-lint.com |
|