James Valentine (photographer) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
James Valentine
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James Valentine, c.1850, portrait likely by Thomas Rodger
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| Born | 12 June 1815 Dundee, Scotland
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| Died | 19 June 1879 (aged 64) Dundee, Scotland
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| Nationality | British |
| Occupation | Photographer, postcard manufacturer |
James Valentine (born June 12, 1815 – died June 19, 1879) was a famous Scottish photographer. His company, Valentine's of Dundee, started by taking pictures of Scottish landscapes. Later, they became super well-known for making millions of picture postcards!
Contents
Early Life and Learning
James Valentine was born in Dundee, Scotland, on June 12, 1815. He was one of five children. His dad, John Valentine, worked as a linen weaver.
James studied photography at the University of St Andrews. There, he met Thomas Rodger, another photographer. Thomas probably took James's picture around 1850.
Starting a Photography Business
James Valentine started his own business, Valentine & Sons Ltd, in Dundee in 1851. Before this, his company focused on printing and making business papers. He then added portrait photography, taking pictures of people.
In 1855, he built one of the biggest glass photo studios in Britain. This allowed him to take clear pictures, even indoors.
Growing the Business
Around 1860, James decided to take photos of landscapes and famous places. He wanted to be as successful as George Washington Wilson, another photographer. In 1866, Valentine got his first special job from the Royal family. He then received a Royal warrant in 1867. This meant his company was officially approved by the Royal family.
His great organizing skills helped his business grow quickly. They opened a large printing factory in Dundee.
Family Life
On August 28, 1837, James married Christina Marshall. They had three children together. Sadly, Christina passed away in 1842. Their only son, John Valentine (1841–1867), became a photographer in Hawaii.
James married his second wife, Rachel Dobson, in 1843.
His son, William Dobson Valentine (1844-1907), studied chemistry. He also learned how to take landscape photos from Francis Frith. Frith was a big publisher of landscape postcards in England. William joined the family business around 1860. His brother, George D. Valentine (1852-1890), also joined the company.
Amazing Photo Collections
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In the 1800s, Valentine's photos were popular with tourists. They made special albums of photos arranged by place. They also sold individual landscape prints. Their pictures were as good as those from Francis Frith and George Washington Wilson.
You could buy landscapes in different sizes. They also made special 3D photos called stereoscopic views. And they made magic lantern slides, which were used to project images. Valentines called themselves 'photographic publishers'. They made many kinds of photo products, not just postcards.
Famous Tourist Spots
Their photos mostly showed tourist spots in Scotland. Later, they expanded to England in 1882. Before 1900, they even photographed popular places abroad. These included Norway, Jamaica, Tangiers, Morocco, Madeira, and New Zealand.
Tay Bridge Disaster Photos
The company became very famous after the Tay Bridge disaster on December 28, 1879. They were asked to photograph the bridge's remains for the official investigation. They took over 50 high-quality photos of the broken bridge. These pictures helped witnesses explain what they saw in court.
Later, these photos were sold across the country. They were even used for picture postcards. In 2003, experts used digital tools to re-examine the photos. This helped them understand how and why the bridge collapsed. The enlarged pictures showed many flaws. For example, some holes for bolts were not perfectly round. This caused weak points in the bridge's structure.
The collection of court photos is now kept at Dundee City Library. Another collection of their photographs is at the University of St Andrews.
