Richard Keene
Encyclopedia
Richard Keene was an early Derbyshire
photographer. He was a founding member of The Derby Photographic Society in 1884 and the Photographic Convention of the United Kingdom
in 1886 as well as being an early member of The Linked Ring
.
when his father became the manager of Frost's Silk Mill. He was educated at Thomas Swanwick's Academy and then at Matthew Spencer's Academy in Derby before becoming an apprentice to Thomas Richardson & Sons, printers in Ashbourne, Derbyshire
. He subsequently went to work in their London offices before working for Simpkin Marshall & Co publishers and booksellers. He married Mary Barrow in 1851 and had eight children in total, five sons and 3 daughters, living in Radbourne Street, Derby. He died at his home in Derby in December 1894.
He had an early interest in photography and began taking and selling photographs of Derby and Derbyshire and before long photography became the mainstay of his business. He was a friend of the Rev Edward Abney (1811–1914) and his sons William de Wiveleslie Abney
and Charles Edward Abney - all of whom were early photographic experimenters.
Keene established a portrait studio and 'Repository of Arts' selling photographs prints and stereoscopic viewers.
Keene was a founder member of the Derby Photographic Society in 1884. He was also a founding member of the Photographic Convention of the United Kingdom
which held its inaugural convention in Derby in 1886.
He was a skilled stereoscopic
photographer and worked with his friend and fellow Derby photographer John Warwick on an acclaimed series ‘Derbyshire Stereographs’ published in the late 1850’s. These are usually credited as ‘By John Warwick, Published by Richard Keene’. Keene gave an account of his early photographic work with Warwick in a later lecture, which is reprinted in Maxwell Craven's biography of Keene. In this he makes clear that this early stereoscopic work was a joint enterprise between the two men.
He was invited to become a member of The Linked Ring
, an exclusive group of photographers committed to promoting artistic principles in photography. Fellow members included Henry Peach Robinson
, Frank Sutcliffe and Alfred Stieglitz
. Through this organisation and the Photographic Convention he had regular contact with some of the most prominent and successful photographers of the day.
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
photographer. He was a founding member of The Derby Photographic Society in 1884 and the Photographic Convention of the United Kingdom
Photographic Convention of the United Kingdom
The Photographic Convention of United Kingdom was founded in 1886 and held its first convention in the city of Derby, England in August of that year.The founding members were a mixture of professional photographers and wealthy amateurs...
in 1886 as well as being an early member of The Linked Ring
The Linked Ring
The Linked Ring was a photographic society created to propose and defend that photography was just as much an art as it was a science, motivated to propelling photography further into the fine art world...
.
Life
Keene was the son of Richard Keene and Priscilla Kimpton, born in London on 15 May 1825. At the age of three, Keene moved with his family to DerbyDerby
Derby , is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands region of England. It lies upon the banks of the River Derwent and is located in the south of the ceremonial county of Derbyshire. In the 2001 census, the population of the city was 233,700, whilst that of the Derby Urban Area was 229,407...
when his father became the manager of Frost's Silk Mill. He was educated at Thomas Swanwick's Academy and then at Matthew Spencer's Academy in Derby before becoming an apprentice to Thomas Richardson & Sons, printers in Ashbourne, Derbyshire
Ashbourne, Derbyshire
Ashbourne is a small market town in the Derbyshire Dales, England. It has a population of 10,302.The town advertises itself as 'The Gateway to Dovedale'.- Local customs :...
. He subsequently went to work in their London offices before working for Simpkin Marshall & Co publishers and booksellers. He married Mary Barrow in 1851 and had eight children in total, five sons and 3 daughters, living in Radbourne Street, Derby. He died at his home in Derby in December 1894.
Career
In 1851 Keene returned to Derby from London to set up as a printer, publisher and bookseller in Irongate under the name Richard Keene and Co.He had an early interest in photography and began taking and selling photographs of Derby and Derbyshire and before long photography became the mainstay of his business. He was a friend of the Rev Edward Abney (1811–1914) and his sons William de Wiveleslie Abney
William de Wiveleslie Abney
William de Wiveleslie Abney FRS was an English astronomer, chemist, and photographer.-Biography:Abney was born in Derby, England, the son of Edward Abney vicar of St Alkmund's Derby, and owner of the Firs Estate...
and Charles Edward Abney - all of whom were early photographic experimenters.
Keene established a portrait studio and 'Repository of Arts' selling photographs prints and stereoscopic viewers.
Keene was a founder member of the Derby Photographic Society in 1884. He was also a founding member of the Photographic Convention of the United Kingdom
Photographic Convention of the United Kingdom
The Photographic Convention of United Kingdom was founded in 1886 and held its first convention in the city of Derby, England in August of that year.The founding members were a mixture of professional photographers and wealthy amateurs...
which held its inaugural convention in Derby in 1886.
He was a skilled stereoscopic
Stereoscopy
Stereoscopy refers to a technique for creating or enhancing the illusion of depth in an image by presenting two offset images separately to the left and right eye of the viewer. Both of these 2-D offset images are then combined in the brain to give the perception of 3-D depth...
photographer and worked with his friend and fellow Derby photographer John Warwick on an acclaimed series ‘Derbyshire Stereographs’ published in the late 1850’s. These are usually credited as ‘By John Warwick, Published by Richard Keene’. Keene gave an account of his early photographic work with Warwick in a later lecture, which is reprinted in Maxwell Craven's biography of Keene. In this he makes clear that this early stereoscopic work was a joint enterprise between the two men.
He was invited to become a member of The Linked Ring
The Linked Ring
The Linked Ring was a photographic society created to propose and defend that photography was just as much an art as it was a science, motivated to propelling photography further into the fine art world...
, an exclusive group of photographers committed to promoting artistic principles in photography. Fellow members included Henry Peach Robinson
Henry Peach Robinson
Henry Peach Robinson was an English pictorialist photographer best known for his pioneering combination printing - joining multiple negatives to form a single image, the precursor to photomontage...
, Frank Sutcliffe and Alfred Stieglitz
Alfred Stieglitz
Alfred Stieglitz was an American photographer and modern art promoter who was instrumental over his fifty-year career in making photography an accepted art form...
. Through this organisation and the Photographic Convention he had regular contact with some of the most prominent and successful photographers of the day.