Vandyke & Brown , Photographers

Vandyke & Brown

later to become

Brown Barnes & Bell

Thank you to David Tyson, Colorado, USA, for sending me the following background to Brown, Barnes & Bell. David wrote:

Richard Brown

My understanding is that the BROWN of BROWN, BARNES and BELL is the Richard BROWN of Durham Hall, Bootle Cum Linacre, Lancashire, England, shown in the British Census of 1881 as born about 1838 in Liverpool and residing with his wife Elizabeth, seven children, one in-law and two domestics. [1341884 : 19].

Richard BROWN, photographer, first appears in Liverpool Gores Directory in 1865. In 1874 and 1875 the firm of Vandyke and Brown is listed. By 1878, Aaron VANDYKE, is listed individually at 62 Bold St. and BROWN, BARNES & BELL is established.

A Richard BROWN appears in the 1881 Census as a Photographer & General Partner of a Firm Employing about 320 persons. This firm appears to be that of BROWN, BARNES & BELL, 31a Bold St, 34 Castle St, 87 Lord St & Durham Hall 96 Derby Rd, Bootle and 66 Mount Pleasant.

Aaron Vandyke

VANDYKE and BROWN, I believe, was a large and successful photographic company operating in Liverpool. The reverse of a picture belonging to a cousin gives three Liverpool locations. [334 Castle St., 87 Lord St. & 31 Bold St.]

The "A. VANDYKE" was, I believe, Aaron VANDYKE, born in Germany, circa 1842. He appears in the 1881 census at 63 Canning St., Liverpool, Lancashire, England [1341868 : 10], living with his wife, four children, one in-law, and two domestics.

A site on Liverpool photographers describes this firm as the successor of Vandyke & Brown. Another picture my cousin has also clearly states "Brown Barnes & Bell Successors to Vandyke & Brown" and includes the "SEMPER SURSUM" banner, shop locations, and other similarities to the Vandyke & Brown label. See Liverpool photographers

Vandyke & Brown

Studio Addresses

A useful book Lancashire Professional Photographers 1840-1940 by Gillian Jones was published by PhotoResearch in 2004. [ISBN 0 952311 5 6]

Gillian Jones' book includes the following addresses. I don't know whether or not there is any connection between the early Richard Brown and the later Richard Brown.

*Brown, Richard*	*1865*	*39 Virgil Street, Liverpool*
*Brown, Richard*	*1865-67*	*42 Virgil Street, Liverpool*
*Brown, Richard*	*1867*	*72 Northumberland Street, Liverpool*
*Brown, Richard*	*1867*	*34 Castle Street, Liverpool*
*Vandyke & Brown*	*1868-75*	*34 Castle Street, Liverpool*
*Vandyke & Brown*	*1868-75*	*31 Bold Street, Liverpool*
*Vandyke & Brown*	*1871-75*	*87 Lord Street, Liverpool*
*Vandyke & Brown*	*1872*	**4 South Hunter Street, Liverpool ***
*Vandyke & Brown*	*1873-75*	*19a Hardman Street, Liverpool*
*Vandyke, Aaron*	*1877*	*60 Bold Street, Liverpool*
*Vandyke, Aaron*	*1877-97*	*62 Bold Street, Liverpool*
*Vandyke, Aaron*	*1878-84*	*64a Bold Street, Liverpool*
*Brown, Richard*	*1892-1931*	*35 Bold Street, Liverpool*
*Brown, Richard*	*1905-06*	*210 Smithdown Road, Wavertree, Liverpool*
*Brown, Richard*	*1932*	*29a Bold Street, Liverpool*

* This is one of the addresses that appears on the back of some of Simon Priestley's Vandyke and Brown prints. Vandyke and Brown described this as being for 'Equestrian and Outdoor Portraiture'.

Acknowledgement: Simon Priestley, Durham, England: September 28, 2010

Brown, Barnes & Bell

Partners

A query has been posted on the Rootsweb internet site that answers a question that I have been asked:

"Who were Brown, Barnes & Bell?"

The person who posted the query mentioned that they had two cartes de visite, and wrote:

"The back of the first picture has the following:

'Semper Sursum
BROWN, BARNES & BELL.
Rich Brown, R.W. Barnes, Joseph Bell
Proprietors of the Studios formerly
VANDYKE & BROWN
Art Photographers
Miniature & Portrait Painters
51 Bold Street, 34 Castle St., 87 Lord St.
LIVERPOOL
Durham Hall, Bootle, & at Southport.'

These are the studio addresses in LIverpool for Richard Brown and RW Barnes above.

Source: Lancashire Professional Photographers 1840-1940 by Gillian Jones: Publ. 2004

*Brown, Richard*	*1865*	*39 Virgil Street, Liverpool*
*Brown, Richard*	*1865-67*	*42 Virgil Street, Liverpool*
*Brown, Richard*	*1867*	*72 Northumberland Street, Liverpool*
*Brown, Richard*	*1867*	*34 Castle Street, Liverpool*
*Robert W Brown*	*1877*	*16 Windsor Road, Truebrook, Liverpool*

I have not fond a studio address for Joseph Bell in Gillian Jones' book, above. However, there is an 1891 entry in the National Archives catalogue that refers to:

"Copyright owner of work: Joseph Bell, trading as Brown, Barnes & Bell, 31 Bold Street, Liverpool."

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