Thomas Joseph Wynne facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Thomas Joseph Wynne
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| Born | 1838 |
| Died | (aged 55) Castlebar, Mayo, Ireland
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| Resting place | Castlebar, Mayo, Ireland |
| Nationality | American, Irish |
| Known for | Studio photographs and outdoor photographs of the topography and people of counties Mayo and Galway in the nineteenth century |
| Spouse(s) |
Ellen Semple
(m. 1860)Margaret Fox (1841–1913)
(m. 1863) |
Thomas Joseph Wynne (1838 – 26 October 1893) was a photographer and shop owner from the 1800s. He was famous for his pictures of western Ireland. He was born in America but had Irish family roots.
Early Life and Family
Thomas Joseph Wynne was born in 1838, probably in the United States. His mother was Irish-American. He likely grew up in America.
By 1860, Wynne had moved to western Ireland. On August 4, 1860, he married Ellen Semple in Castlebar, County Mayo. Ellen passed away in 1862. They had one son named John William Wynne.
In 1861, Wynne opened a shop in Castlebar. It started as a stationery shop and news agency. Over time, he added more services. These included a travel service, a bookshop, and even an auction service.
On November 2, 1863, Wynne married Margaret Fox. She was also from County Mayo. They had ten children together, five daughters and five sons. Some of their children later helped with or continued his photography business.
Wynne's Photography Work
In 1867, Thomas Wynne opened a photography studio. It was located at his shop in Castlebar. The high quality of his photos suggests he might have had special training.
Wynne took many different kinds of pictures.
- He took studio portraits of people.
- He photographed special events like weddings and sports.
- He also captured scenes of daily life in towns and the countryside.
He sold individual photo prints and photo albums.
By 1877, Wynne's photography business was doing very well. He even advertised for a "photographic artist" to help him. He described himself as a "photographer, stationer, bookseller, and general newsagent."
Wynne hired assistants to help color his photographs. He also taught at least three of his children about photography. This included one of his daughters. However, he took most of the studio photos himself.
In 1884, Wynne sold "splendid photos" of a shipwreck. This was the wreck of the gunboat HMS Wasp. It had sunk near Tory Island off County Donegal. Many crew members sadly died in the accident.
Thomas Wynne passed away on October 26, 1893, at age 55. He was buried in Castlebar. His second wife, Margaret, continued running the stationery part of the business.
Wynne's Lasting Impact
Thomas Wynne's youngest son, Richard James Wynne, continued the family shop and photo studio in Castlebar. Other sons opened their own photography businesses in different parts of Ireland. These places included Limerick, Tipperary, and Portarlington.
One of his daughters, Mary Hannon (born Wynne), also became a photographer. She opened her own studio in Loughrea, Galway, in the 1890s. She was also part of the Irish Literary Society.
The Wynne family business in Castlebar continued for 147 years. It was still a newsagent run by Wynne's descendants. It finally closed its doors in June 2011.
Many of Wynne's photographs still exist today. They are kept in collections in Ireland. These include the Mayo County Library and the National Library of Ireland. The Mayo County Library has about 3,000 prints by Wynne and his children.
The National Library of Ireland holds the "Wynne Collection." This collection includes many original glass negatives and prints. These photos show what life was like in counties Mayo and Galway in the late 1800s.
Wynne's surviving photographs are very important. They give us a special look into the history of western Ireland. This was a busy time that wasn't often captured in photos. His work is a major part of Ireland's history.
