Alfred Ellis (photographer) facts for kids
Alfred Ellis (born May 5, 1854 – died April 13, 1930) was a famous English photographer. He was best known for taking pictures of popular actors and performers of his time, like Oscar Wilde and Dan Leno. More than 180 of his photos are kept in the National Portrait Gallery in London.
Early Life and Photography Work
Alfred Ellis was born in St Pancras, London in 1854. His father, Edward George Ellis, was a builder. Alfred Ellis had his own photography studio on Baker Street in London from 1884 to 1898.
Later, from 1898 to 1918, he worked with another photographer named Stanisław Julian Ignacy Ostroróg. Their studio was called Alfred Ellis & Walery, also on Baker Street. Even though they shared a studio, they usually took their own separate photos.
Ellis's pictures were often printed in The Illustrated London News. They were turned into wood-engravings, which were popular ways to show photos in newspapers back then.
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In 1883, Ellis joined the Photographic Society, which later became the Royal Photographic Society. He also helped start the Professional Photographers' Association. He was very active in this group, serving as Secretary, President, and General Secretary at different times.
Ellis was especially good at taking pictures of theatre shows. At first, he would recreate scenes from plays in his studio. Later, he started taking photos right inside the theatres during performances. One very important photo he took was of the original play Lady Windermere's Fan (1892) by Oscar Wilde. This picture shows a scene from the play with actors like George Alexander and Benjamin Webster.
Protecting His Photographs
Alfred Ellis played a big part in protecting the copyright of photographers. Copyright means who owns the rights to a creative work, like a photograph. He even went to court several times to fight for these rights.
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In one case, called Ellis v. Ogden (1894), it was about a photo he took of actress Mary Moore. He didn't charge her for the photo session or for the copies he gave her. But when one of her photos was printed in The Ludgate Monthly magazine, Ellis sued. He said he still owned the copyright because he had given the photo as a gift. The court agreed with him. They said he was the "author" of the photo and still owned it since Mary Moore hadn't paid for it.
However, Ellis wasn't as lucky in another case, Ellis v. Marshall (1895). In this case, he had also invited actors Harry Nicholls and Charles Kenningham to his studio for free photos. They took two types of pictures: one in costume and one in their regular clothes. Just like with Mary Moore, he didn't charge for the session or for the copies. But the actors did pay him for the photos taken in their regular clothes. One of these was published in The Ludgate Monthly.
Ellis argued that he still owned the copyright for all the pictures because the initial session was free. But the judge, Justice Collins, disagreed. He said that since the actors paid for the photos taken in their regular clothes, Ellis did not own the copyright for those specific pictures. Because of this case, Alfred Ellis helped create the Photographic Copyright Union. He later became its vice president.
Family Life
In 1887, Alfred Ellis married Mary Catherine Corbett. They had two children: a son named Douglas Ellis (born 1891) and a daughter named Effie Mary Ellis (1889-1982).
Alfred Ellis passed away in 1930 and was buried in East Finchley Cemetery.
Images for kids
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Alfred Ellis
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Oscar Wilde in 1892, photographed by Alfred Ellis
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Photograph of William Davenport Adams (1851-1904) by Alfred Ellis
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Dan Leno as Widow Twankey, photographed by Alfred Ellis in 1896
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George Conquest in 1895, photographed by Alfred Ellis
