In June we made another visit to Reading and had a very interesting tour, this time hearing all about the photographic history of the town. Our guide, Terry Dixon, is very knowledgeable and gave us some fascinating facts about Reading photographers that were very innovative in their time.

Reading played a pivotal role in the history of photography. William Henry Fox Talbot was instrumental in the invention of the photographic negative, which allowed for multiple prints from one photograph. He owned one of the world's first commercial photographic studios, operating in Reading between 1844 & 1847.

In 1856 a lady photographer, Mrs Dann, opened a shop in Broad Street. This almost certainly makes her Reading’s first female professional photographer and something of a pioneer. Her early business was mainly portraiture but she later branched out into photographing local scenes & landmarks and also developing x-rays for the hospital. She also made regular visits to the police station to photograph new prisoners.

When Mrs Dann retired, her granddaughter took over the business. She was married to a Mr Henry Lewis (noted for his Magic Lantern shows) and this led to the business name being changed to Dann-Lewis. The business later passed to their son until its closure some time after the Second World War.

Reading also hosted 3 generations of pioneering portrait photographers, the Adams family, Walton, Marcus and Gilbert, who were known for their formal & informal photographic work. In the 1880s Queen Victoria invited Walton Adams to Osborne House on the Isle of Wight to photograph her and her large family.

Walton’s son Marcus first photographed Princess Elizabeth in 1926 when she was just eight months old. From the 1930s onwards, his portraits of the young Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret were reproduced throughout the world in many magazines, on souvenirs and on stamps throughout the Commonwealth.

Our tour took us around the streets just off the main shopping centre. Unfortunately it rained nearly all the morning. We were taken to the top of a car park to get a wonderful view across the town but it was all we could do to stop being blown away. Thankfully the rain did stop long enough to have our picture taken with a local dignitary.

We then went to Sweeney Todd’s pie restaurant, where we warmed up and had a most enjoyable lunch.