Sophia Hoare facts for kids
Sophia Hoare was a British photographer who lived and worked in Tahiti during the 1800s. She was also known by other names like Mrs S. Hoare and Madame S. Hoare.
Sophia, whose maiden name was Johnson, married Charles Burton Hoare in June 1853 in Manchester, England. They lived in a town called Hulme and had three daughters: Elizabeth, Louisa, and Octavia. In March 1863, the family traveled by ship from London to Auckland, New Zealand.
In New Zealand, Charles Hoare started a photography business with a partner named Wooster. Their company was called Hoare & Wooster. Wooster had a studio called "The Royal Photographic Rooms." The partnership ended in 1866, and Charles then opened his own photography business.
Moving to Tahiti
Later, the Hoare family moved to Tahiti, a beautiful island in the Pacific Ocean. It's not clear if everyone moved at the same time, but Charles was definitely in Tahiti by February 1868. He announced in a local newspaper, Le Messager de Tahiti, that he had opened a photography studio on College Street in Papeete, the capital city. He offered to take pictures called cartes de visite, which were small photographs often used as visiting cards.
In June 1868, Charles traveled around the islands, visiting places like the Leeward Islands. He likely took some of the very first photos of the Makatea atoll, which is a type of island, in the Tuamotu Islands. He returned to Papeete in September. Charles was mentioned in the local newspapers several times between 1872 and 1876. His famous pictures of Queen Pomare IV and her son (who would later become King Pomare V) were probably taken during this time.
After 1876, there are no more records of Charles Hoare. His wife, Sophia, took over the photography business sometime after that year. By 1879, she was referred to as a widow, meaning her husband had passed away. Sophia ran the "Atelier Hoare" studio for 30 years. She became a well-known photographer, even taking pictures of the Tahitian royal family.
Life in San Francisco
Sophia Hoare's work gained international recognition. In 1889, she won a medal at the Exposition Universelle (a big world's fair) in Paris, France. Before this award, she signed her photographs as "Mrs S. Hoare." After winning the medal, she changed her signature to "Madame S. Hoare."
By the end of the 1800s, Sophia's studio was located on Rue de la Petite-Pologne in Papeete. However, in May 1904, Sophia and her daughter left Tahiti. They boarded a ship called the SS Mariposa and sailed to San Francisco, a city in the United States. Sophia Hoare passed away sometime between 1910 and 1920.
Photos by Hoare
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Hellen Bambridge (1852–1918), daughter of a British settler and a local woman.
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A young man with exotic fruit.
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Portrait of Tepano from Easter Island, taken in the 1870s.
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A tattooed person from the Marquesas Islands.
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