Figure 1.-- Marcus Adams was the best known London photohrapher for childrem. He was patronized by London society, including the Royal Family. Here is an unidentified boy porobably photographed by Adams in the 1930s. He looks to be wearing a satin Oliver Twist style outfit. We might guess this was the outfit the boy wore at a society wedding.

Marcus Adams was born into a Reading photographic family (1875). He was a npted British society photographer who was especially admired for his portraits of children, most prominantly royal children. His father, Walkter Adams, operted a Reading photogrphic studio. Adams learned about photography from his father. Marcus studies painting and his skill and artistry show in his photographs. He began his own career working as an architectural photographer for the British Archaeological Society. His phoographs illustrated tnhe vooks published by noted antiquarian C.E. Keyser. He began to develop a London society clientelle. He formed an association with Bertram Park and Parks' wife Yvonne Gregory. They formed the 'Three Photographers' group after World War I (1920). They were based in fashionable Mayfair. They worked independently, but shared facilities and printing staff. Adams has been described as the greatest children's photographer of the 20th century. We arenot sure we would go tht far, but he was very good. Several books have been published on his work. He would get on the floor with his subjects and capture beautiful moments. Through this he developed a unique style, and then created photography in the studio working with bromide. He also experimented in many different styles of photography. Adams gained such a reputation that the Duchess of York chose him for the first official photographs of the infant Princess Elizabeth The subsequent 1934 photograph of Princess Elizabeth at the age of 8 was used as the portrait for the $20 banknote of the Cananadian 1935 Canadian dollar series. Adams had many other sittings with royal children, the last being Princess Anne (1956). Of course Adams' clientelle were not exclusively royals, but the royal connection drew awide swath of London society to Adams. Other notable children included, Christopher Robin Milne, John Julius Norwich, and Simone Prendergast. Adams' son and grandson continued the fgamily's photographic traditions.

Created: 8:46 AM 4/30/2017
Last updated: 8:46 AM 4/30/2017