Margaret Hardman by Edward Chambré Hardman
She became his assistant at age 17; he was ten years older. When they parted, she tormented him with tales of other lovers. They exchanged increasingly warm letters, and ended up happily married for years. She ran the household and the business, not unlike thousands of other husband-and-wife photography businesses down to the present day. When she died, of cancer, he mourned, heartbroken, for the rest of his long life.
Their love story is preserved in their letters and papers.
The more forceful personality, she was a fine photographer in her own right, and recently curators have been trying to sort out his pictures from hers—giving her her first solo show more than 100 years after her birth (in Liverpool, England).
They were working photographers. A scrap of doggerel she wrote for him:
Happy days and health and fun
And easy smiling sitters
(Not the kind that growl and scowl
And give us all the jitters)
It's a nice photographic love story, from Britain's Guardian.
Mike
(Thanks to Gavin McLelland)
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Original contents copyright 2010 by Michael C. Johnston and/or the bylined author. All Rights Reserved.
Featured Comment by Sean: "I watched a great documentary on Edward Chambré Hardman on BBC Four a couple of years ago. Narrated by one of Liverpool's favourite sons, John Peel, it can be found on YouTube and should not be missed."
Mike replies: What a lovely show—I really enjoyed that. Thanks for the link, Sean.
That portrait gives me the jitters.
Posted by: charlie | Tuesday, 23 March 2010 at 09:29 AM
charlie,
It does look like a paste-up job, doesn't it? Her neck doesn't read right to me, apart from her head being too big.
Mike
Posted by: Mike Johnston | Tuesday, 23 March 2010 at 10:37 AM
While this may be a great love story, I'm not sure how it elevates Margaret Hardman to the level of "important photographer".Of course, it might have something to do with the fact that the show is being exhibited at, the "Hardman" house and curated by it's staff.
I would put more stock into this exhibit if it had been conceived and curated by a neutral third party rather than an a group who stands to benefit directly from any success.
Posted by: Chuck Kimmerle | Tuesday, 23 March 2010 at 10:49 AM
Thats a great story, makes one appreciate the colour in the world of black and white in that time
Posted by: Marcus | Tuesday, 23 March 2010 at 10:54 AM
No neck and a two dimensional face. I can't determine if that is a bad thing!?
Posted by: charlie | Tuesday, 23 March 2010 at 11:40 AM
Chuck; I guess I'm in better spirits, and perhaps less cynical, than you today. (It's a beautiful early spring day here in Chicago with more to come!) So I really don't give a hang who might benefit from this show. I'm glad Mike posted the story and I'd be glad to pay my pence to see the show. "Important photographer"...bah...what the hell's that?
Posted by: Ken Tanaka | Tuesday, 23 March 2010 at 12:24 PM
What is it with the negativity that appears all over the web? I don't think anyone is going to benefit from the success of this venture. The National Trust is a British Charity http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-trust/w-thecharity.htm
I think we should celebrate that anyone anywhere is trying to preserve our heritage especially the art of photography.
Posted by: Kevin Illingworth | Tuesday, 23 March 2010 at 01:17 PM
This may be the first time I've said this in a public forum, but here goes.
Good Grief! Don't you recognize history's embedded sexism - nowhere more evident than in photography. The very definition of 'important' implies male. And,jeez, criticizing Margaret's appearance is a commentary on her husband's photography, not hers. I think Margaret's work in the Guardian article is stunning.
It is not political correctness to reexamine history for neglected voices and visions. Thank you, Gavin and Mike, for bringing this to TOP.
Denise
Posted by: Denise Ross | Tuesday, 23 March 2010 at 02:11 PM
Denise,
Yes, I had originally cast my post about this in the following terms: if "behind every successful man is a strong women," does that mean "in front of every strong woman is a man standing in her way?" That kind of thing. But it didn't seem quite appropriate to what I know of the story. It seems they really were a team, and husband-wife mom-and-pop shops are really not uncommon in professional photography. I'm happy Margaret is getting her due; but the picture that emerges from what little I know is of a devoted couple running a business together....
Mike
P.S. The only thing I see wrong with that picture is that I don't quite believe it. It seems like a composite photograph to me, what today might fall under the rubric of "bad Photoshop." There are a number of pictures of both of "Hardy" and Margaret in the BBC Four documentary.
Posted by: Mike Johnston | Tuesday, 23 March 2010 at 04:37 PM
Hardman's studio at 59 Rodney Street, Liverpool, England is preserved by the National Trust and is well worth the visit. Everything is preserved just as it was, including the two darkrooms (one for his business, one for private use).
http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-59rodneystreet
Posted by: Chris Bertram | Tuesday, 23 March 2010 at 06:52 PM
@ Denise
"And,jeez, criticizing Margaret's appearance is a commentary on her husband's photography, not hers."
This could very well be directed at me, and of course I was commenting on the photography not Margaret herself.
It's truly weird but I rather like it.
Posted by: charlie | Tuesday, 23 March 2010 at 09:55 PM
"What a lovely show—I really enjoyed that"
Touching wasn't it?
Great rivalry between Liverpool and my city Manchester. Mancuinians (aka Mancs) and Liverpudlians (aka Scousers) are more alike than we like to admit, but from football to music we've each laid claim to supremacy over the other. A lot of us are from Irish stock. I seldom envy scousers (nor they us) but we haven't got a record like the one the Hardmans' left them.
Posted by: sean | Wednesday, 24 March 2010 at 08:39 AM
A very pleasant video report of a local phenomenon. There's nothing to get cynical about. They were a couple who happened to have the luck to be able to do what they wanted and the skill pull it off. Housework was certainly not their "thing". He said of it himself: "... it was fun while it lasted." And if a few curious people visit the place they'll get a feel for what it was like to work in a wet darkroom. That's a bit of education right there!
Posted by: Mike O'Donoghue | Wednesday, 24 March 2010 at 02:05 PM