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Edward Fitzmaurice Chambré Hardman was an Irish-born photographer, who primarily worked based for most of his career in Liverpool, England. He was a landscape photographer by advocation, but primarily dependent on portraiture. Edward Hardman was born in Foxrock, Dublin (1898)., Ireland. He was the third child and only son of a keen amateur photographer -- Edward Hardman. Hardman described his father as 'a land agent for various estate owners and landlords in County Dublin'. He also had family connections with the British Raj. Hardman insisted thst "Two ... kinsmen (one on my fathers side, and one on my mothers) have held the office of Viceroy of India." Edward took his first photographs when he was 9 years old. He won won many photographic competitions during his time at St. Columba's College in County Dublin. He would take many dramtic powerful landscape portraits, including shots of the Himalayas, but his place in photographic history is the record he left us of Liverpool. This is primarily urban landscape, but he also captured important images of the people--including the children.
Edward Hardman was born in Foxrock, Dublin (1898). He was the third child and only son of a keen amateur photographer -- Edward Hardman. Hardman described his father as 'a land agent for various estate owners and landlords in County Dublin'. He also had family connections with the British Raj. Hardman insisted thst "Two ... kinsmen (one on my fathers side, and one on my mothers) have held the office of Viceroy of India." We note a photograph of Edeard at age 8 wearing a saolor suit (1906). Edward took his first photographs when he was 9 years old. He allowed his son to use his father's quarter-plate mahogany and brass stand camera. Edwardcwould process the glass plate negatives in the wine cellar and then make contact prints in the apple loft. By the age of fourteen he had won several photographic competitions in magazines, including Amateur Photographer and Photographer and Focus. Later in life he would recall dreans of fabulous landscapes.
He won many photographic competitions during his time at St. Columba's College in County Dublin.
After St. Columba's College he entered the Army at age 18 years as a young officer was posted to India. This was during World War I. It was a good time to be in India. He was in India for 4 years as an officer in the regular British Army--the 8th Gurkha Rifles. He would gain promotion to lieutenant. He was on active duty at the foothills of the Himalayas. You might have thought that this could lead to a photographic career based on Indian/Himalasyan photograpgy. You could not have imagined a more fertile ground for photography. He did take photographs using his trusty Eastman Kodak No. 3 Special camera. He processed his rolls of film in his bathroom. India was, however, not a permanrnt attrction. He was more drawn to England. Liverpool and enirons would be his focus
While still in India, stationed at the Khyber Pass he crossed paths with Captain Kenneth Burrell (1893-1953). He was not set on an army career or remaining in Indai. He was thinking about setting up a photographic studio in Liverpool, a prosperous port and ship building city. They decided to go into business together. They took out lease on an property at 51a Bold Street in Liverpool's fashionable commercial district (1923). Burrell was largely a silent partner providing the financing, but he was also important because of his contacts in the Liverpool business community. Starting a new business by an unklnown young photographer is not easy. Hardman at first supplemented hia eranings by repairing wirelesses. Eventually Hardman gained reputation as a talented photographer and attracted a loyal clientel. Burrell finally left the business entirely to Hardman (1929). .
He would take many dramtic powerful landscape portraits, including shots of the Himslyasda, but his place in photographic history is the record he left us of Liverpool. His studio at first primarily focused on portritute, but he was rescpecially drawn to landscape photigraphy. We are not sure why. Perhaps this time in the foothills of the Himalayas had an impact. Here he was largely self taught. He was influebce by influenced by contemporaries like Alexander Keighley. He had received some practical, basic instruction as a boy from his father. And the young woman who would become his wife also provided valuable instructions. Unlike her, he nerver studies photograpohy.
Hardman joined Liverpool's Sandon Studios Society. This was a kind of artists' club. The members s included many of Liverpools most talented architects, painters, sculptors and musicians. It is through his caontacts and travels (to France) associated with the Sandon Studios Societty that Hardman developoed in landscape photography skills as well as important business contacts. He begam winning photographic competitions. The 1930s was a period of real acg=hievemnent. He later wrote "Most of my childish dreams were of landscapes; usually of some remote and spectacularly sired lake, which I could never find again."
interestingly, Garmen's tecqinue was profoiundly influenced by a young woman who he would eventually marry. He hired 17year-old Margaret Mills as his assistant 1926. She began look after the studio when he traveled. She prived to have not only a string busines sense, but photographic talent as wwell. Margaret left the studio to train as a photographer in Paisley, Scotland (1929). They kept in touch, grdually understanding their futual feectioin. hrough frequent affectionate letters. Hardman writes, "She was about nineteen - the doctor's daughter and the beauty of the district.... She had a half-plate stand camera with several lenses, and used to print her negatives by the Carbon process.... She taught me the rudiments of choosing and composing a subject, and I think you could date the beginning of my interest in landscape to [those] days." [4] They finally married (1932). The marriage was close, but for whatever reason childless. They worked long hours at their studio. They would take weekend bicycle excursions to shoot landscapes.
Hardman place in photographyb was confirmed by bdeing velected a fellow of the Royal Photographic Society. He and Margaret began taking landscape photographs in Scotland. He photoigraohed many actiors and actresses active in Liverpool. He took a notable portrait of prima ballerina Margot Fonteyn. Other important portrait subjects included Michael Redgrave, Ivor Novello and a youthful John Moores. The Hardman took over the lease of a second portrait studio based in Chester (1938). .
Hardman was not involved in the War, but the business flourished Land scape photography was put on hold as he had little spare time. He did not get involved in the black market in films. Servicemen wanted a family portrait to take with them pn overseas postings. Families wanted portraits of their men in the serbice. The Hardmans moved to Barnston on the Wirral (1941). They stayed there for 7 years, until the Bold Street studio lease expired. They then moved to larger premises at 59 Rodney Street. This became their new studio and where they lived the rest of their lives.
Hardman is best known for his Liverpool photoography, not his countryside landscapes although he produced some dramtic ones. His Liverpool photography might be considered urban landscapes. his mos famous single photograph is Birth of the Ark Royal' (1950). .While much of it is buildings, he also captured important images of the people--including the children.
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