| Photographer | Jabez Hughes & Hughes & Mullins | |
| Active Period | 1862 - 1884 | |
| Lifespan | Born: 1819 London | Died: 1884 IOW |
| Studio Addresses | 60 Union Street, Ryde | |
| Associates | Gustave William Henry Mullins William Robert Hogg |
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| Trade History | 1865
Harrod & Co's Directory
Hampshire & IOW (page 1149) J Hughes, photographic artist, Union Street, Ryde 1867 Kelly's Directory IOW 1871 Hills Historical & Commercial Directory (page
225) 1875 Kelly's Directory IOW 1898 Kelly's Directory IOW (pages 250 & 551) 1899 Kelly's Directory of Hampshire & IOW (page 637) 1899 Kelly's Directory of Hampshire & IOW (page 638) 1915 Kelly's Directory IOW (page 719) 1915 Kelly's Directory IOW (page 720) |
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| Awards | ||
| Photographic Evidence Found |
1863 - estimated date of photo - see below | |
| Examples of Photographs, Trade Cards, Adverts, etc |
  Example of Jabez Hughes photo and back estimated to be c1863. My thanks to Errol Walling for the above photo. The photo is thought to be of Eleanor HAWKEN (nee WARNE) the first wife of Rev. William
HAWKEN - a Bible Christian Minister in Newport / Ryde from 1863 - 1865.
My thanks to Ann Barrett and Richard Smout for the above shop photo and 1871 lookup.
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| Family History | Cornelius Jabez Hughes was born in London in 1819. He trained
as a daguerreotypist under the famous photographer John J.E.Mayall, who had opened a
studio at 433 Strand, London in 1847. In the 1850s, Hughes worked as a photographer in
Glasgow, but in 1855 he returned to London to take over Mayall's studio in the Strand. In 1862, Jabez Hughes purchased the photographic business of William George Lacey at 6 Royal Arcade, Union Street, Ryde. From 1862, Jabez Hughes was regularly in attendance at Queen Victoria's residence at Osborne, taking photographs of members of the Royal Household and portraits of the Royal Family. His photographic portraits were used by Edwin Landseer, the Royal portrait painter, to produce works such as "Sorrow" (1866). At some point before 1867, Hughes moved to 60 Union Street, Ryde - his Regina House Studio. It is thought that the photographers E & A Debenham then took over the Arcade studio. Around 1880, Hughes took on an assistant, Gustav William Henry Mullins. Gustav Mullins was born in 1854 in Jersey, CI, and, in the 1881 census, was recorded as living at Norris View, John Street, Ryde. At one time, Jabez Hughes had an apprentice by the name of William Robert Hogg working with him. After he had been trained as an assistant, William was sent to Osborne House on many occasions to photograph Queen Victoria and members of the Royal family. In 1883, Hughes entered into partnership with Mullins to form HUGHES & MULLINS. This business arrangement may have been prompted by the fact that Hughes "never recovered from the death of his only son in 1878" - the only heir to his business. When Jabez Hughes moved to the IOW in 1862, his London studio was left in the hands of Edward S Hughes. Edward Hughes may have been Jabez's son or brother. In the 1881 census, it is recorded that Jabez had a grandson, Reginald Hughes, living with him and his wife, Esther. Reginald was born c1873 in Ryde which suggests that Jabez's son was also living in Ryde at the time - possibly assisting his father. Shortly after entering into partnership with Gustav Mullins, Jabez Hughes died on 11 August 1884. Mullins purchased the furniture and fittings from Hughes' widow, Esther, but continued trading under the name HUGHES & MULLINS for nearly 30 years. The firm of HUGHES & MULLINS were granted a Royal Warrant on 15 January 1885 when they were named "Photographers to Her Majesty at Ryde". Mullins made a number of portraits of Queen Victoria and the Royal Family. A group portrait taken in the Council Room at Osborne House in April 1886 is particularly noteworthy because it shows four generations of the Royal Family and it features a smiling Queen Victoria. She was evidently very pleased with Mullins' portraits, describing them as "very successful" in her journal. In the late 1880s, Mullins was commissioned to re-photograph the large number of early photographs in Queen Victoria's collection. Mullins used the permanent carbon process process to make photographic prints of images from the 1840s and 1850s which needed to be preserved. Gustav Mullins continued to trade as HUGHES & MULLINS until 1910 when he moved to smaller premises at 64 Union Street where he traded under the name Gustav Mullins only. My thanks to David Simkin for contributing to the above historical notes.
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| Further Notes |
"MESSRS, HUGHES AND MULLINS - have just published a striking
portrait of the Queen, taken at Osborne in January, one of the best as it is the latest
photograph for which she has sat. Her Majesty is seated with her hands crossed, her face
being in profile. From a chain bracelet which she is wearing two miniature portraits are
pendant, one of them being easily recognisable as that of the Duke of Connaught. This
splendid likeness will doubtless have a phenomenal sale." My thanks to Ann & Les Barrett for supplying the above press cutting. |
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