Derbyshire Photographers Profiles : Joseph W. Price (1830-1890) of Derby
Derbyshire Photographers' Profiles
by Brett Payne, of Tauranga, New Zealand
Joseph W. Price (1830-)
of Babington Lane, Derby

After starting business as a photographer in Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Joseph Wheeldon Price operated a studio at 39 Babington Lane, Derby from at least 1870 until about 1888.  He was in partnership with Benjamin Galvin for at least some of that period.

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Joseph Wheeldon Price was born on 2 March 1830, third son of the Derby architect John Price and his wife Elizabeth nee Pymm.  He and his six siblings were baptised at the King Street Wesleyan Methodist Chapel in St Alkmund's Derby, but grew up at Park Lane House in Littleover, a village situated just a few miles south-west of the borough.  His first wife Harriet was from Stourport in Worcestershire, which is where their daughter Lucy Ellen was born in 1852.  By 1854, when son Alfred was born, they had moved to Wolverhampton, in Staffordshire.  Another son John James was born in early 1859 at Derby.
J.W. Price opened his first photographic studio in Ivanhoe Road, Ashby-de-la-Zouche, Leicestershire in the mid-1860s.  Although the exact starting date of the business is unknown, he was listed in an 1867 directory (Buchanan) at this address.  By 1870 (Harrod) he had opened a second shop at 39 Babington Lane in Derby.  He probably closed the Ashby business, or perhaps sold it, some time in the early to mid-1870s, to concentrate on the Derby shop, which had become a more successful enterprise.  An early cdv is known (see below) which suggests he also had a studio at 37 Wilmot Street, Derby for a brief period in the mid- to late 1860s.

Price briefly operated a branch studio at Victoria Chambers, 36 Victoria Street, Victoria Street, Derby at some stage in the 1870s.  Adamson shows him at this address in 1876, which appears to coincide with the departure of Clement Rogers from the premises.  It is interesting to note that Price used an almost identical card mount design to that which Rogers had employed at the Victoria Chambers studio, and later (in the early 1880s) adopted the design for his Babington Studio.

In late 1878 Joseph married for the second time, to Alice Maude Mills in Derby, his first wife having died a year earlier.  They had only one child, a daughter Edith, who was born a year later.

Around 1880-1881 Price was briefly in partnership with Benjamin Galvin (1828-1900), a travelling photographer.  There was enough work available for Price to be employing "1 girl and 1 boy" in the studio in April 1881.  Galvin, however, seems to have moved on, because by census night he was living at 57 London Street, the premises of the photographic firm A & G Taylor, which had branches country-wide.  It seems likely that Benjamin was working for this firm.  He was born in Stourbridge, Worcestershire, but little is known of his earlier career.  Thomas J. Galvin, an artist, who was in the household of photographer Robert Pratchett at 64 Macklin Street, Derby in April 1881, was probably Benjamin's brother.  By 1891, both Benjamin and Thomas had moved to Eccleshall Bierlow in Yorkshire, and were working as a "Fine Art Dealer" and "Artist" respectively.  Benjamin Galvin died there in late 1900.

According to Craven (1993), Price stayed in business until 1888, although there is no mention of him in Kelly's 1887 trade directory.  Perhaps he was then in the process of winding down and/or selling the business, because by April 1891 he had a seaside tobacconist's shop at Liscard on the Wirral, in Cheshire.  The premises at 39 Babington Lane were taken over by Edmund & C. Hopkins (Kelly, 1891), and subsequently (Bulmer & Kelly, 1895) by Charles Carr, Gilbert & Co. (formerly of the Bostock & Carr partnership) who remained there until at least 1903.

It is possible that Joseph Price later returned to the photographic business, because by March 1901, when he had moved to Aston, near Birmingham, he described himself as a "retired photographer".
Joseph Wheeldon Price (1830-)

Portfolio
Image © & courtesy of Nigel Aspdin Unidentified woman
by J.W. Price of 37 Wilmot Street, Derby
Undated but probably taken in the late 1860s
Format: Carte de Visite
Size: Mount 64.5 x 102.5 mm Photo 60.5 x 91.5 mm

Image © & courtesy of Nigel Aspdin

Notes:

 Image © & courtesy of Nigel Aspdin
Image © & courtesy of Nigel Aspdin Unidentified elderly woman
by J.W. Price of Babington Lane, Derby & Ivanhoe Road, Ashby-de-la-Zouch
Undated but probably taken in the late 1860s or early 1870s
Format: Carte de Visite
Size: Mount 65 x 103.5 mm Photo 57.5 x 83 mm

Image © & courtesy of Nigel Aspdin

Notes:

 Image © & courtesy of Nigel Aspdin
Image © & courtesy of Christine Hibbert Unidentified elderly couple
by J.W. Price of Babington Lane, Derby & Ivanhoe Road, Ashby-de-la-Zouch
Undated but probably taken in the late 1860s or early 1870s
Format: Carte de Visite

Image © & courtesy of Christine Hibbert

Notes:
Image © & courtesy of Christine Hibbert
Image © & courtesy of Cynthia Maddock Unidentified young man
by J.W. Price of Babington Lane, Derby  & Ivanhoe Road, Ashby-de-la-Zouch
Undated but probably taken in the late 1860s or early 1870s
Format: Carte de Visite

Image © & courtesy of Cynthia Maddock

Notes		 Image © & courtesy of Cynthia Maddock
Image © & courtesy of Cynthia Maddock Unidentified elderly man
by J.W. Price of Babington Lane, Derby  & Ivanhoe Road, Ashby-de-la-Zouch
Undated but probably taken in the late 1860s or early 1870s
Format: Carte de Visite

Image © & courtesy of Cynthia Maddock

Notes		 Image © & courtesy of Cynthia Maddock
Image © & courtesy of Cynthia Maddock Ann Linden Kirk (?)
by J.W. Price of Babington Lane, Derby  & Ivanhoe Road, Ashby-de-la-Zouch
Undated but probably taken in the late 1860s or early 1870s
Format: Carte de Visite

Image © & courtesy of Cynthia Maddock

Notes by BP:  This CDV was rescued from a decrepit album, and the caption on the album page holding the photo stated, "Ann Linden Kirk."  I have been unable to discover anything more about her.

 Image © & courtesy of Cynthia Maddock
Image © & courtesy of Cynthia Maddock Mr & Mrs Mart (?)
by J.W. Price of Babington Lane, Derby  & Ivanhoe Road, Ashby-de-la-Zouch
Undated but probably taken in the late 1860s or early 1870s
Format: Carte de Visite

Image © & courtesy of Cynthia Maddock

Notes by BP:  This CDV was rescued from a decrepit album, and the caption on the album page holding the photo stated, "Mr & Mrs Mart."  I have been unable to discover anything more about them.		 Image © & courtesy of Cynthia Maddock
Image © & collection of Brett Payne Portrait of unidentified children
by J.W. Price of Babington Lane, Derby & Ivanhoe Road, Ashby-de-la-Zouch,
Undated, but probably taken in the early 1870s
Format: Carte de Visite
Size: Mount 64 x 104 mm Photo 60.5 x 90 mm

Image © & collection of Brett Payne

Notes		 Image © & collection of Brett Payne
Image © & courtesy of Derby Local Studies Library George Grattidge (c.1826-1876)
by J.W. Price of Derby
Undated, but probably taken c. 1871-1876
Format: Cabinet card

Image © & courtesy of Derby Local Studies Library

Notes:  Inscribed, "Inspector Grattidge."  George Grattidge was a former police constable who became a sanitary inspector and inspector of nuisances for the Derby Board of Health Offices at Full street.  He lived at 3 Edward Street and died in 1876.
 Image © & courtesy of Derby Local Studies Library
Image © & courtesy of Derby Local Studies Library Benjamin Fearn (c.1814-1886)
by J.W. Price of Derby
Undated, but probably taken c. 1871-1876
Format: Cabinet card

Image © & courtesy of Derby Local Studies Library

Notes:  Inscribed, "Inspector Fearn."  Benjamin Fearn was Inspector of Police in the 1860s and early 1870s.
 Image © & courtesy of Derby Local Studies Library
Image © & courtesy of Derby Local Studies Library Image © & courtesy of Derby Local Studies Library
Unidentified group, by J.W. Price of Derby
Undated, but probably taken c. 1871-1876, on the same ocasion as the two cabinet portraits shown above
Format: Large mounted albumen print

Image © & courtesy of Derby Local Studies Library
Image © & courtesy of Derby Local Studies Library Self portrait
by J.W. Price of Derby
Undated, but probably taken c. 1874-1880
Format: Cabinet card

Image © & courtesy of Derby Local Studies Library

Notes:  Signed, "J.W. Price" and inscribed, "PhotoD from Copy, Derby."
 Image © & courtesy of Derby Local Studies Library
Image © & courtesy of David Cox Unidentified couple, taken by J.W. Price, either at Derby or Ashby-de-la-Zouch, date unknown but probably early 1870s
Format: Carte de Visite

Image © & courtesy of David Cox

Notes:  The gentleman appears to be wearing a mayoral chain.  Unfortunately nothing is known of the identity of this couple.
Image © & courtesy of Samantha Smith Portrait of unidentified young lady,
by J.W. Price of The Babington Studio, Babington Lane, Derby & Ivanhoe Road, Ashby-de-la-Zouche,
Undated, but probably early 1870s
Format: Carte de Visite

Image © & courtesy of Samantha Smith

Nothing further is known about this photo
Image © & courtesy of Samantha Smith
Image © & courtesy of Nigel Aspdin Unidentified group of children
by J.W. Price of The Babington Studio, Babington Lane, Derby & Ivanhoe Road, Ashby-de-la-Zouche
Undated, but probably early 1870s
Format: Carte de Visite
Size: Mount 66 x 109.5 mm Photo 61.5 x 95 mm

Image © & courtesy of Nigel Aspdin

Notes:  The same group of children, and same sitting, as the image below.

 Image © & courtesy of Nigel Aspdin
Image © & courtesy of Nigel Aspdin Unidentified group of children
by J.W. Price of The Babington Studio, Babington Lane, Derby & Ivanhoe Road, Ashby-de-la-Zouche
Undated, but probably early 1870s
Format: Carte de Visite
Size: Mount 65.5 x 109.5 mm Photo 60.5 x 95.5 mm

Image © & courtesy of Nigel Aspdin

Notes:  The same group of children, and same sitting, as the image above.

 Image © & courtesy of Nigel Aspdin
Image © & courtesy of Claire Casey Portrait of unidentified young lady
by J.W. Price of The Babington Studio, Babington Lane, Derby & Ivanhoe Road, Ashby-de-la-Zouche
Undated, but probably early 1870s
Format: Carte de Visite

Image © & courtesy of Claire Casey

Notes

 Image © & courtesy of Claire Casey
Image © & courtesy of Maxwell Harris Portrait of unidentified young couple,
by J.W. Price of The Babington Studio, Babington Lane, Derby & Ivanhoe Road, Ashby-de-la-Zouche,
Undated, but probably early to mid-1870s
Format: Carte de Visite
Size: 62 mm x 105 mm

Image © & courtesy of Maxwell Harris

Inscribed on the reverse: "Taylor, Holbrook Moor".
Notes by MH: This belonged to my grandmother Hilda Harris of Holbrook, Derbyshire.  I am uncertain as to the actual identities of the man and woman in the photograph but I am sure there is some connection with a Frank (Francis) Taylor born Holbrook c. 1874 who married my great grandmother Elizabeth Staton c. 1906.  The woman in the photo is probably his mother Harriett Taylor, who was born c. 1848 and possibly married c. 1870.
Image © & courtesy of Maxwell Harris
Image © & collection of Brett Payne
 Portrait of unidentified woman
by J.W. Price of The Babington Studio, Babington Lane, Derby & Ivanhoe Road, Ashby-de-la-Zouche,
Undated, but probably taken in the early 1870s
Format: Carte de Visite
Size: Mount 63 x 106 mm Photo 56 x 88 mm

Image © & collection of Brett Payne

Notes		 Image © & collection of Brett Payne
Image © & courtesy of Nigel Aspdin Unidentified woman
by J.W. Price of The Babington Studio, Babington Lane, Derby & Ivanhoe Road, Ashby-de-la-Zouche
Undated, but probably early to mid-1870s
Format: Carte de Visite
Size: Mount 61 x 103 mm Photo 59 x 92.5 mm

Image © & courtesy of Nigel Aspdin

Notes:		 Image © & courtesy of Nigel Aspdin
Image © & collection of Lies Ligthart Portrait of unidentified woman
by J.W. Price of The Babington Studio, Babington Lane, Derby & Ivanhoe Road, Ashby-de-la-Zouche,
Undated, but probably taken in the mid- to late 1870s
Format: Carte de Visite

Image © & collection of Lies Ligthart

Notes		 Image © & collection of Lies Ligthart
Image © & courtesy of Cynthia Maddock Unidentified young child
by J.W. Price of The "Babington" Studio, Babington Lane, Derby  & Ivanhoe Road, Ashby-de-la-Zouch
Undated but probably taken in the early to mid-1870s
Format: Carte de Visite

Image © & courtesy of Cynthia Maddock

Notes		 Image © & courtesy of Cynthia Maddock
Portrait of unidentified elderly woman,
by J.W. Price of The Babington Studio, Babington Lane, Derby & Ivanhoe Road, Ashby-de-la-Zouche,
Undated, but probably taken in the late 1870s
Format: Carte de Visite

Image © & courtesy of Caroline Dean

Nothing further is known about this photograph.
Image © & courtesy of Derby Local Studies Library John Turner (1831-1883), Mayor of Derby
by J.W. Price of Victoria Chambers, Derby
Undated, but probably taken c. 1876-1878
Format: Carte de visite

Image © & courtesy of Derby Local Studies Library

Notes:  Inscribed on the reverse, "John Turner, Major of Derby."  John Turner was a master maltster who became an alderman, a Justice of the Peace, and Mayor of Derby in the late 1870s.
 Image © & courtesy of Derby Local Studies Library
Image © & collection of Brett Payne Unidentified clergyman
by J.W. Price of Victoria Chambers, Derby
Undated, but probably taken c. 1876-1878
Format: Carte de Visite
Size: Mount 62.5 x 104 mm Photo 58 x 96 mm

Image © & collection of Brett Payne

Notes:		 Image © & collection of Brett Payne
Image © & courtesy of Nigel Aspdin Unidentified woman
by J.W. Price of Victoria Chambers, Derby
Undated, but probably early to mid-1870s
Format: Carte de Visite
Size: Mount 63.5 x 102 mm (trimmed at base) Photo 59 x 97 mm

Image © & courtesy of Nigel Aspdin

Notes:		 Image © & courtesy of Nigel Aspdin
Image © & courtesy of Prue McKay and The Rootschat Collection of Victorian & Edwardian Photography Unidentified woman
by J.W. Price of Victoria Chambers, Derby
Undated, but probably taken c. 1876
Format: Carte de Visite

Image © & courtesy of Prue McKay and The Rootschat Collection of Victorian & Edwardian Photography

Notes:  I have been unable to identify the "R.A. Reddish" identified on the reverse with any degree of certainty.

 Image © & courtesy of Prue McKay and The Rootschat Collection of Victorian & Edwardian Photography
Image © & courtesy of Derby Local Studies Library Major George Gascoyne (1842-1916)
by J.W. Price of 39 Babington Lane, Derby
Dated November 1880
Format: Carte de visite

Image © & courtesy of Derby Local Studies Library

Notes:  Inscribed on the reverse, "Major Geo. H. Gascoyne, Nov. 1880."  George Gascoyne was a major in, and later colonel and commanding officer of, the 1st Derbyshire Rifles, a militia regiment.  He was also a silk manufacturer and merchant in Derby, in partnership with his brother Joseph Henry Gascoyne.

 Image © & courtesy of Derby Local Studies Library
Image © & collection of Lies Ligthart Portrait of unidentified woman
by J.W. Price of The Babington Photographic Studio, Babington Lane, Derby
Undated, but probably copied in the late 1870s to early 1880s from an older photograph taken perhaps in the 1860s
Format: Carte de Visite

Image © & collection of Lies Ligthart


Notes		 Image © & collection of Lies Ligthart
Image © & courtesy of Samantha Smith Unidentified man
by J.W. Price of The Babington Photographic Studio, Babington Lane, Derby,
Undated, but probably taken c. 1881
Format: Carte de Visite

Image © & courtesy of Samantha Smith

Notes:
Image © & courtesy of Samantha Smith
Image © & collection of Brett Payne Unidentified woman
by J.W. Price of The Babington Photographic Studio, Babington Lane, Derby
Undated, but probably taken c. 1881
Format: Carte de visite
Size: Mount 61 x 98.5 mm (trimmed at base) Photo 56.5 x 92 mm

Image © & collection of Brett Payne

Notes:

 Image © & collection of Brett Payne
Image © & courtesy of Derby Local Studies Library Colonel John Evans
by J.W. Price of 39 Babington Lane, Derby
Undated, but probaby taken in the mid-1870s
Format: Cabinet card

Image © & courtesy of Derby Local Studies Library

Notes:  Signed on the front, "[Col.] John Evans."  Wright's (1874) trade directory shows John Evans as a major in the First Battalion of the Derbyshire Volunteers (late Captain 6th Inniskilling Dragoons).
 Image © & courtesy of Derby Local Studies Library
Image © & courtesy of Christine Hibbert Unidentified subject
by Price & Galvin of The "Babington" Photographic Studio, 39 Babington Lane, Derby, c. 1879-1881
Format: Carte de Visite

Image © & courtesy of Christine Hibbert

Nothing further is known about this photograph
Image © & courtesy of Christine Hibbert
Image © & collection of Brett Payne
 Unidentified gentleman
by Price & Galvin of The "Babington" Photographic Studio, Babington Lane, Derby
Undated, but probably taken in the late 1870s or early 1880s
Format: Cabinet card
Size: Mount 109.5 x 167 mm Photo 104 x 145 mm

Image © & collection of Brett Payne

Notes:
Image © & collection of Brett Payne
Image © & courtesy of Cynthia Maddock
 Unidentified woman
by Price & Galvin of The "Babington" Studio, 39 Babington Lane, Derby
Undated but probably taken c. 1879-1881
Format: Carte de Visite

Image © & courtesy of Cynthia Maddock

Notes:		 Image © & courtesy of Cynthia Maddock
Image © & collection of Brett Payne Unidentified woman
by Price & Galvin of The Babington Studio, 39 Babington Lane, Derby
Undated but probably taken c. 1879-1881
Format: Carte de Visite
Size: Mount 63 x 103 mm Photo 59.5 x 94.5 mm

Image © & collection of Brett Payne

Notes:		 Image © & collection of Brett Payne
Image © & courtesy of Cynthia Maddock Unidentified man
by Price & Galvin of The "Babington" Studio, 39 Babington Lane, Derby
Undated but probably taken c. 1879-1881
Format: Carte de Visite

Image © & courtesy of Cynthia Maddock

Notes:		 Image © & courtesy of Cynthia Maddock
Image © & courtesy of Roger Vaughan Unidentified young woman
by Price & Galvin of "The Babington Studio", 39 Babington Lane, Derby
Undated, but probably taken c. 1880-1881
Format: Cabinet Card

Image © & courtesy of Roger Vaughan

Nothing further is known about this photograph
Image © & courtesy of Roger Vaughan
Image © & courtesy of Barry Muir Probably Eleanor (Ellen) Miller nee Clarke (b. 1837)
by J.W. Price of The Babington Studio, 39 Babington Lane, Derby
Undated, but probably taken in the early 1880s
Format: Carte de Visite

Image © & courtesy of Barry Muir

Nothing further is known about this photo.
Image © & courtesy of Barry Muir
Image © & courtesy of Cynthia Maddock Unidentified young man in academic gown
by J.W. Price of The Babington Studio, 39 Babington Lane, Derby
Undated but probably taken in the early 1880s
Format: Carte de Visite

Image © & courtesy of Cynthia Maddock

Notes		 Image © & courtesy of Cynthia Maddock
Image © & courtesy of Nigel Aspdin Arthur Bernard Hewitt (b. 19 June 1881)
by J.W. Price of The Babington Studio, 39 Babington Lane, Derby
Undated, but probably taken c. 1883
Format: Carte de Visite
Size: Mount 62.5 x 104.5 mm Photo 58.5 x 95.5 mm

Image © & courtesy of Nigel Aspdin

Notes: Inscribed on the reverse, "Arthur Bernard Hewitt, born 19th June 1881."  Free BMD shows a birth registration for Arthur Bernard Hewitt in the Derby Registration District in the September quarter of 1881.  I estimate the boy to be aged about two - hence he probably sat for the portrait in the summer of 1883.
 Image © & courtesy of Nigel Aspdin
Image © & courtesy of Brett Payne
 Three unidentified children
by J.W. Price of The Babington Studio, 39 Babington Lane, Derby
Undated, but probably taken c. 1882-1884
Format: Carte de Visite
Size: Mount 63 x 104 mm Photo 57 x 94.5 mm

Image © & courtesy of Brett Payne

Notes: This is the same chair as shown in the image above.
Image © & courtesy of Brett Payne
Image © & courtesy of Brett Payne Unidentified man
by J.W. Price of The Babington Studio, Babington Lane, Derby
Undated, but probably taken in the early to mid-1880s
Format: Carte de Visite
Size: Mount 62.5 x 104.5 mm Photo 58 x 92 mm

Image © & courtesy of Brett Payne

Notes		 Image © & courtesy of Brett Payne
Image © & courtesy of Tristan Martin Marie Webster
by J.W. Price of Derby
Undated, but probably taken in 1880
Format: Carte de Visite

Image © & courtesy of Tristan Martin

Nothing further is known about this photo
References
Images provided by Nigel Aspdin, Lies Ligthart, Derby Local Studies Library, Prue McKay, Cynthia Maddock, Brett Payne, Maxwell Harris, Samantha Smith, Roger Vaughan, David Cox, Christine Hibbert, Barry Muir and Tristan Martin
1841-1901 UK Census - online from Ancestry.com
FreeBMD
North East Midland Photographic Record - Picture the Past
Drake (1861) Commercial Directory of Leicestershire,  University of Leicester's Digital Library of Historical Directories
Slater (1862) Directory of Leicestershire,  University of Leicester's Digital Library of Historical Directories
Buchanan & Co. (1867) Postal & Commmercial Directory of Leicester,  University of Leicester's Digital Library of Historical Directories
Harrod & Co. (1870) Postal & Commercial Directory of Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Rutland & Staffordshire, University of Leicester's Digital Library of Historical Directories
C.N. Wright (1874) Directory of South Derbyshire.
S. Barker & Co. (1875) General Topographical & Historical Directory for the Counties of Leicester & Rutland,  University of Leicester's Digital Library of Historical Directories
Anon (1876) The Post Office Directory of the Counties of Leicester & Rutland,  University of Leicester's Digital Library of Historical Directories
Anon (1881) Kelly's Directory of Derbyshire, Kelly & Co., London.
Anon (1887) Kelly's Directory of Derbyshire, Kelly & Co., London.
Anon (1891) Kelly's Directory of Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Rutland & Nottinghamshire, Kelly & Co., London. University of Leicester's Digital Library of Historical Directories
Anon (1895) Kelly's Directory of Derbyshire, Kelly & Co. Limited, London.
Anon (1895) History, Topography, and Directory of Derbyshire, T. Bulmer & Co. - by kind courtesy of Sonia Addis-Smith
Victorian Photographers in the British Isles, Compiled by Christine Hibbert
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South Derbyshire Genealogy

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