Derbyshire Photographers Profiles : E.N. Charles of Derby
Derbyshire Photographers' Profiles
by Brett Payne, of Tauranga, New Zealand
Emmanuel Nicolas Charles (1827-1864)

of Derby

E.N. Charles was one of Derby's earliest photographers, establishing a studio in Station Street in 1885.  He subsequently operated from Midland Road until his death in 1864, when the studio was taken over by his wife Sarah, and then by his former assistant Walter W Winter.

Go straight to Portfolio


Emmanuel Nicolas/Nicholas Charles was born c. 1827 in France.  After marrying Sarah Ball (born c. 1831 Walcote, Leicestershire), he lived in Nottingham and Leicester before moving to Derby.  E.N. Charles and his wife Sarah had two sons, Alexis (b. c1840 Nottingham) and Amson (b. c1843 Leicester).  He established a studio in Station Street, Derby in 1855, under the partnership "Charles & Morris" [Derby Telegraph, 24 November 1855, page 1, col 5].  It is not clear how long the partnership lasted, but by 1857 (White), Charles was listed alone, with a studio at 2 Midland Road, Derby.  He continued as a photographer in Midland Road, Derby until his death in 1864.

His widow Sarah Charles then ran the studio with the help of his former assistant Walter William Winter.  She married Winter in about 1867, after which he took over the studio.  A modern photo of the original premises occupied by E.N. Charles is shown on the Derby Photos web site.


Portfolio
Image © & courtesy of David Simkin Unidentified woman
by Monsieur E.N. Charles of 2 Midland Road, Derby
Undated, but probably taken c. 1862

Format: Carte-de-visite

Image © & courtesy of David Simkin

Nothing further is known about this photo.

Image © & courtesy of David Simkin

Image © & courtesy of Nigel Aspdin Unidentified man
by Monsieur E.N. Charles of 2 Midland Road, Derby
Undated, but probably taken c. 1862

Format: Carte-de-visite
Size: Mount 63 x 98 mm Photo 57 x 90 mm
Negative No. 774

Image © & courtesy of Nigel Aspdin

Notes
Image © & courtesy of Nigel Aspdin

Image © & courtesy of Nigel Aspdin Unidentified woman
by Monsieur E.N. Charles of 2 Midland Road, Derby
Undated, but probably taken c. 1862

Format: Carte-de-visite
Size: Mount 62.5 x 100.5 mm Photo 57.5 x 89.5 mm

Image © & courtesy of Nigel Aspdin

Notes
Image © & courtesy of Nigel Aspdin

References
Images kindly provided by Nigel Aspdin and David Simkin
1861 Derbyshire Census - CDROM published by ArchiveCD Books
1881 UK Census - online from the LDS church
FreeBMD
White, F. & Co. (1857) History, Gazetteer and Directory of the County of Derby. Transcribed by Neil Wilson.
Heathcote, Bernard & Pauline (2002) A Faithful Likeness - The First Photographic Studios in the British Isles, 1841 to 1855, Courtesy of David Simkin
Craven, Maxwell (ed.) (1993) Keene's Derby, Breedon Books, Derby, pp. 200-202. - by kind courtesy of Sonia Addis-Smith

Home Page
Index to Photographers
Photographer Profiles
Contribute an Image
South Derbyshire Genealogy

Back to the Top


© 2002-2008 Brett Payne All Rights Reserved