Taken in 1856 to celebrate their marriage, the image below of
Hannah Pratley and George Taylor is I believe, the oldest surviving
wedidng photograph in Britain. It shows none of the obvious joy and
intimacy of a modern wedding photograph and uncovering it has taken
me on an exciting journey of discovery. Here lies a tragic tale of
a Victorian working women's lot and involving murder, intrigue,
forgiveness and an evangelical Christian movement...
Hannah was born in 1832 in what is now the picturesque Cotswold
town of Burford. In her late teens she worked as a housemaid, but
just a few years later her life took a dramatic turn when she was
jailed for the manslaughter of her new-born son. A contemporary
newspaper then reports the tragic, unforeseen: "suicide of the
reputed father of the child". Hannah had fallen pregnant by a
married man. Upon jailing Hannah the judge remarked: "It is a
painful thing to administer justice on a respectable young women
who might have done better things… It is necessary to make an
example to deter others".
Thankfully, after her spell in jail Hannah did gain some
happiness when she met and married George Taylor. According to Pam
Vowles, one of Hannah's descendants, the Bible - which you can see
on Hannah's lap - was given to her by Isabella Reynolds, whose son
Thomas was a leader of the Plymouth Brethren - a strict religious
sect which follows a rigorous moral code to this day.
So how do we know our 1856 image is the oldest surviving wedding
photograph? It is an ambrotype (made on a sheet of glass with a
backing of black paper or varnish) which clearly dates it to before
1862. There is a wedding image of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert
that was previously believed to be one of the earliest: but it is
simply a recreation of their 1840 marriage taken over a decade
later.
The image of George and Hannah is a far cry from the modern
wedding photograph, which is blanketed in happiness and
celebration: it is glamour-less, joyless and with little of the
bride and groom's personalities shining through. The bride isn't
smiling because this was considered a solemn occasion, there are no
embraces - and certainly no kisses, with George allowed to do
little more than extend an arm around his loved one's shoulder.
They are of course dressed in their Sunday best: that was the norm.
Modern wedding photographers are among the most proficient and
talented in the trade, with carefully planned and detailed shoots.
This however, was sold for little more than a shilling, was taken
in a photographer's studio and with little or no preparation.
So this month, when we celebrate love on St Valentine's Day, the
Leap Year (when a woman can traditionally propose) and also the
bicentenary of the birth of Charles Dickens, this wedding
photograph really speaks to me and uncovering its story has made me
think... The Victorians invented the art and science of photography
and championed the now traditional wedding photograph: a moment
captured in time that links us to our past as well as our future.
Even those couples who prefer modern, reportage style photography
generally opt for a few traditional poses. And in this age of
digital photography when hundreds of wedding photographs are never
printed, but instead viewed on a laptop, iPad and smartphone, the
iconic image of the bride and groom generally does make the frame
and is still proudly displayed on the mantelpiece.
_______________
Sarah Haywood © 2012
Thank you to Audrey Linkman for the fascinating insights in her
book:
The Victorians: A Photographic Portrait