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History of the Archive
The Collection is based upon the archive founded in 1860 by Francis Frith, the pioneering Victorian photographer.The original company founded by Frith continued taking and publishing photographs for 110 years until 1970, when it was closed following the retirement of the owners.
From 1860 to 1900 the primary business was selling photographic prints for Victorians to paste into their family albums. By 1910, following the legalisation of postcards, the business evolved gradually into postcard publishing, and became the UK market leader for many years.
Following closure of the business in 1970 Bill Jay, one of Britain's first photo historians, identified the archive as being nationally important, and "at risk". Bill managed to persuade Rothmans, the tobacco company, to purchase the archive to ensure its safety.
Frith was re-launched in 1976 as The Francis Frith Collection by John Buck, a Rothmans's executive, with the intention of making the Frith photographs available to as wide an audience as possible.
In 1977 John Buck bought the company from Rothmans and has continued to run it as an independent business since that time.
The Future for the Collection
Frith photographs are being bought today as nostalgic view souvenirs and as book and album illustrations - just as they were in his own time. Frith was at the cutting-edge of Victorian photo technology, but he would be astonished to see what is being accomplished today with the archive he established. The internet flashes Frith photographs around the world at unimaginable speeds. We are certain that he would be delighted that his photographs are now being made available to an ever-wider audience.
