Henry Dunning, photographer

This collection of photographs were all taken by Henry Dunning a photographer who was born in Chester, but who settled in Usk, Pontypool, Monmouthshire, Wales. They are taken directly from glass negatives of various sizes. The name of the sitter is sometimes identified, often making it possible to find out a quite a lot about them from census returns. A map of the photo locations is below this gallery. (If no location is known the photo is located to Henry Dunning's studio.)

Henry Dunning was born in 1849 in Chester and cannot be positively identified on the census until 1891 when he appears as a photographer living and working at 12 Bridge Street. His wife Jane is from Cheshire and they have a daughter Emily aged 23 who is listed as a photographer's assistant. (She was born in Rock Ferry, suggesting the family lived on the Wirral at some time.) A second assistant, Margaret Harding (age 31) also lives at the house along with another boarder (Margaret Byrde) who was a Governess born in America.

In 1901 Henry, Jane and Emily are still at the same address, although Emily is not noted as having any employment.

In 1911 the three remain at Bridge Street and the unmarried Emily is once again noted as 'Assisting in the Business'. Henry Dunning died aged 71 in 1920 and appears to have been working until close to the date of his death.

Onn the reverse of his carte de viste Henry Dunning describes the business as being "Portrait, Landscape and Architectural Photographers".

Photos by Henry Dunning of Usk, Wales

Photographs scanned from glass negatives.

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1901 Harry Wise

Studio portrait scanned from a glass negative by Henry Dunning of Usk, Monmouthshire. It's likely that this Usk portrait, labelled as Harry Wise, is Thomas Henry Wise. In 1901 he lived with his parents at 43 Baron Street, Usk as a 19-year-old Printer Compositor.

His father is Willam (Grocers Carter/Carman) and mother is Jane Wise (dressmaker), sister Mabel and a boarder Charles Jones (labourer), complete the household.

Harry wears a high starched collar with a patterned tie and a flower in his buttonhole signifying a wedding. A handkerchief is tucked, somewhat untidily, into his top pocket and he has recently had a haircut. He wears spectacles. There is a marriage record for him to Ada Wait in 1908 so perhaps this was the occasion. He would have been 27 and Ada Waitwas 32. She was a parlourmaid from Wiltshire working at Castle House just a few roads away.

Curiously the 1911 census shows the Wise family (and Charles Jones) all still together at the same address and Harry is listed as single with no sign of Ada. With no death record found for her found, there must have been another reason they are not together.

His sister Mabel is by then a teacher and they are all shown as English speakers. Harry Wise died in 1943 aged 61.

1900s 1901 1916 Baron Street Bridge Street Date certain Dunning GB Harry Wise Henry Dunning Monmouthshire Portrait Usk Wales Wise flowe flower glass negative glasses half length inside man one person photograph plain background pocket handkerchief spectacles suit surname surname Dunning surname Wise tie wedding young man