Photographic History Collection: Frederick Evans (2024)

Description:

The Frederick H. Evans Collection in the National Museum of American History’s Photographic History Collection is comprised of ten platinum prints that include portraiture as well as architectural photography. Considered one of the most notable architectural photographers of all time, Frederick H. Evans dedicated his photographic career to capturing the monumental cathedrals of England and France. His use of platinum paper resulted in delicate prints that brought the unique characteristics of his subjects to life. A bookseller by profession, Evans brought his love for knowledge and beauty to his pursuit of photography. His images of cathedrals and portraits of significant artists of the day convey the connection Evans had with his subjects and mark a lasting contribution to the history of photography.

Born in England on June 26th, 1853, little is known about the early life of Frederick Evans. He owned a bookshop in London that was, by account of playwright George Bernard Shaw, filled floor to ceiling with books. The shop was frequented by a variety of patrons; from artists and writers of the day to businessmen on their lunch breaks who would spend their free time browsing the shelves. Evans, the friendly and jovial owner, would chat with his customers and offer them whatever information he could. Evans was deeply interested in the world around him, an interest that he extended to his work as a bookshop owner and eventually as a photographer. Evans claimed that is was his life-long interest in beauty that prompted him to pursue photography. Evans took such a great interest in documenting the world around him through photography, that he relinquished his book shop in 1898 and was free to pursue photography with greater intensity.

One of the remarkable characteristics of Frederick Evan’s photography was his dedication to a specific technique. It was his teacher and friend George Smith who trained Evans in photography and engrained him with the basic tenets of the medium. It was from Smith that Evans was instilled the belief of “pure” photography, or not manipulating the negative by dodging or changing the original outcome. Evans continued to hold this belief throughout his photographic career. In his own words, Evan’s practiced the “straightest of straight photography.” This was significant in a time when photography wasn’t considered an art form and those who wanted it to be considered as such would attempt to alter the negative and therefore embellish the photograph. Along with his approach of pure photography, it was Evans’ use of platinum paper that made his photographs remarkable. Platinum paper was created by exposing iron salts to light, which then reduces to platinum salts and finally to platinum. Paper of this kind gave the images a look of permanence and great delicacy. It was the combination of Evans’ flawless technique as well as the unique qualities of his subjects that brought vibrancy to his photographs.

Dominating Frederick Evans’ body of work is the subject of cathedrals. Photographing cathedrals primarily in England and France, he captured these soaring structures differently from his colleagues. Other photographers simply documented the cathedrals and failed to convey the stunning impressions these great structures expressed. Evans did more than just document. He was able to capture the emotion of these cathedrals as well as their light, size, and depth. In part, this was made possible through his use of platinum paper, but it was also due to his dedication as a photographer. When Evans selected a cathedral he wanted to photograph, he would study it for weeks at a time. Gauging the qualities that light had on the interior and at what time of day the light was optimal, he would then decide when and how to take the photograph. He placed his camera as far away from the subject as possible in order to encompass a greater view. By exposing his images for a longer period of time and using a small aperture (f/32) Evans was able to achieve the greatest clarity. Made between the years 1895-1903, the photographs in the Photographic History Collection were taken of cathedrals at Ely Cathedral in Cambridgeshire, England, Lincoln Cathedral in Canterbury, England, and the Chapel of St Michael d'Aiguilhe in Le Puy, Auvergne, France. Due to his work for Country Life magazine, Evans was able travel and photograph cathedrals such as these.

While cathedrals and architecture comprised the majority of his body of work, they were not the only subject Evans captured during his time as a photographer. Constantly meeting new people as an interested owner of a bookshop, he formed friendships with patrons such as Aubrey Beardsley and George Bernard Shaw, and F. Holland Day. It was the people with whom he felt he formed a relationship that he decided to immortalize in a portrait. Most of the portraits were taken from the waist up, and some captured just the shoulders and head. The close proximity to the camera echoed the close friendships Evans had with who he chose to photograph. Evans believed that photography could capture portraiture better than painting could. As proof of his belief in photographic portraiture, the same care and attention he paid to his architectural photographs can be seen in his portraits we well.

Evans utilizes a particular method for mounting his photographs, which is evident for his portraits and a few of his cathedral images. In what was referred to as a multiple mounting system, Evans glued the trimmed print to a slightly larger colored piece of paper (usually a tan or gray) which left a small amount of the colored paper as a border. The photograph with the colored border was then placed onto yet another colored card. This process was repeated several more times and as a result produced a series of borders around the photograph. This technique added dimension to the final print as well as characteristics of substance and quality.

Evans practiced the art of photography for nearly thirty years. Never one to betray his principles, Evans remained true to the style of “pure photography” throughout his career. Only in the 1920s, when the price of platinum paper dramatically increased, did Evans production decline as he was never satisfied with the quality of silver paper. The photographic career of Frederick Evans marked a contribution to the field of architectural photography as well as a prominent use of platinum photography.