THE FIRST LADY PHOTOGRAPHER

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 267, 4 August 1908, Page 5

THE FIRST LADY PHOTOGRAPHER

'-.The.-/pioneer 'of . photography, as a profession' for 'ladies, '-Miss •' Alice Hughes, l ' has numbered Kings' and Queens, Princes -and Princesses among her patrons. ... , - ... - Sho'contributes an interesting account of her career to,''Pearson's Magazine' '—an account doubly;.interesting in that ~it•is'illus---trated -.with; a series of. photographs of her most be&utiful sitters. ... 1

• Miss .'Hughes .describes 'the . circumstance that led - to; her choice; ofthe \photographic profession:— ... '•.... "In ..three years' time ' I shall have completed' t.wenty years as a,: professional' photo: grapher, when-I purpose .retiring. ; . Looking 'back, 011 Hh.ose. ; 'with .their .many; interesting experiences, .- .with' . their changes and.-, chanccs; •/ ,thpir, . worries, disappoint-ments,,and-anxieties, and their big snare of Tedjletter.-: days', I'. can- honestly say. that I have never: regretted Ijaving followed that career ' which-.1. was the. first..'of my . 'sex. to adopt. ,'' But. the, conditions prevailing.in my profession: to-day are vastly, different from tHos'p. .existing; ..when ~ I. " embarked on a career ;: as. a''. photographer;' tlioy are . such, indecdj .as .to render/success for one of my sex at 'any rate' almost, impossible of attainment for .reasons .1 shall mention later,which,may perhaps .:servo' to enlighten the minds of such young girls (and to judge from my correspondence they . are ' many). who think that a photographic studio is a sort .of short, cut to wealth.

starting; a studio was.'sugme by : the late Duke of Leinster, w]i9Sd.:.wife, the beautiful Duchess of'LeinBterV' ; my:'father ! was painting at, the' time. jf'TWhyldoh't' you-.rstarfc a photographic studio?' said jHis. Grace one day to 'me, after having;'seen somo , of' .my;, amateur work. 'When :it is'ready,-we^'will'all come to you.' , ■"J was very '• young at'-. ' the timethe. notidn' was. a novel one,' and 'as a: novelty has usually an'attraction ior youth,' it-per-haps appealed to mo. • I gave no thought to 'tho difficulties;of the,pr6iect, and,, as a matter-of 'fact, ' when they 'cropped. up,- as they: were bound 1 in' course'of, time to do,-1 managed, .to ■ get: over them: somehow; ■ ."I. started !my studio, '.however, under rather--' favourable' conditions. I. had a clientele- almost' ready-made. I . mean I know that thero were a certain .number of people of: wealth- and' social 'distinction who would, at all events, be: ready to give me a trial. My part was simply to do good work, whiVb would advertise-'itself" and-bring me more sitters. ,

"Vv-first sittpr'wns Mis 6 Mnriorie Graham Murrav.. the then little daughter of Lord piinerlm. Slio wns very pretty and 'chnrmiri" T rPT"c"iber I lent her my Persian V'tn.i t A bold in her arms whilst I took her photnrrraph.' ''Tillrinix about photographic work recently to me, Lord Dunedin 'said— 'You have verv . man? photographs since, and -nn >lon'it t?)-"e many more, but voh will nover take a better one than your first.' " .