IntroductionJohn Frederick Blennerhassett, Professional Photographer, London
John Frederick Blennerhassett
(alias Blenner-Hasset)
Professional Portrait Photographer, London
John Frederick Blennerhassett (b.1835 d.1904) was a professional portrait photographer in London at two locations.
1A Vernon Street, Kings Cross Road, Clerkenwell/Pentonville, London (1865-1899) was his home and studio address.
62 Upper Street, Islington, London (1864 -1872) was a studio address only, other photographers working from rooms in the same building.
"Directory of London Photographers 1841-1908" compiled by Michael Pritchard in 1986, lists John Frederick Blennerhassett
as a photographer at both addresses, under Hasset (1864-71) and under Blennerhassett (1872-75) and he was still taking photographs professionally in 1894.
J.F.B. was also a hydraulic engineer, designing and making hydraulic engines for organs, and a teacher of organ music.
He was Health Inspector for Clarkenwell, London and manufactured nitrous gas for medical use,
his family delivering it to the London hospitals.
At the National Archives in Kew, London is a portrait photograph, catalogued as COPY 1/417/141
"Photograph of the late Henry Smart musician & composer & organist, ¾ face (copy annexed)"
Copyright owner and author of work: John Frederick Blennerhasset, 1A Vernon Street, Pentonville, London WC.
Form completed 17 July 1894. Registration stamp: 17 July 1894.
Photographic carte-de-visite by John Frederick Blennerhassett
Photographic carte-de-visite of an unidentified British army officer, a sepia photograph taken by John Frederick Blennerhassett probably between 1865 and 1872, the years he is known to have been operating a photographic studio at both addresses printed on the card (62 Upper Street, Islington and 1A Vernon Street, Pentonville / Clerkenwell) simultaneously.
The sitter wears his patrol jacket with an officer's belt, on his cap the cap badge of a Light Infantry Regiment. He proudly displays two war medals, between and below which hangs a miniature medal or decoration.
I had at first thought he may have been a Crimean War veteran, which if correct would have suggested the medals were the Crimea Medal and Turkish Crimea Medal. The Durham Light Infantry (68th Regiment of Foot) and Somerset Light Infantry saw service in the Crimea, as did the Highland Light Infantry (71st Regiment of Foot) although the uniform in the photograph is English, not Scottish.
However, these medals are not from the Crimean War - on the first there appears to be no clasps and the suspension between ribbon and medal does not match that of the Crimea Medal. The miniature may be a foreign decoration. The officer was photographed in uniform ten or more years after the Crimean War (1853-1856) ended, so more probably following his return from a different conflict.
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John Frederick Blennerhassett, Professional Photographer, London
