Thomas Ogle (1813-1882)

Thomas was the youngest of seven children and his mother died when he was just eight years old. He served an apprenticeship as a bookbinder and in 1834 he went into partnership with Isaac Bland to form 'Ogle & Bland, bookbinders' with premises in Chapel Walks, behind 103, Fishergate, Preston.

In October of the following year they moved the business to 38, Avenham Street. The partnership was dissolved in January 1837; Thomas continued the business at Avenham Street until 1850 whilst Isaac Bland opened a shop elsewhere in Preston.

In the 1841 Census, Thomas is listed as living at the house of his brother Joseph, (silk mercer & draper) in Cross Street, Preston. The following year he married Hannah Burton of Kendal and in 1843 their first child, Joseph was born. In 1844 they were living at 13, Bow Lane (near the present L.R.O.).

1834

Advert for Ogle & Bland, Bookbinders, Preston, 1834 (Up the Court, near Messrs. Pilkingtons' Office, Chapel Walks).

1851

Advert for Thomas Ogle, 'Bookbinder, Woodcutter & Bookseller', 126, Fishergate, Preston, 1851(near present-day W.H.Smith's).

Thomas' father, a successful corn merchant with a warehouse and other property, died in 1845. Thomas may have inherited a reasonable sum of money after the estate was settled about 1849.

By March 1850 Thomas had sold his business in Avenham Street to a Joseph Thompson. A year later, 31st March 1851 (Census Day) Thomas & Hannah were living in two properties converted into a shop in North Road, Preston, with three children, a servant and a nursemaid. 

In April 1851 Thomas opened a bookshop (see advert to the left) at 126, Fishergate.

 Thomas was also teaching landscape and figure drawing at two evening classes per week in 1854-5, at the Institution for the Diffusion of Knowledge, Avenham. It was perhaps here that he developed an interest in the new art of photograpy.

Institution for the Diffusion of Knowledge, Avenham, Preston, 1854. Click on the image to enlarge.

1855 

Advert for Thomas Ogle, 'Portrait Painter and Photographic Artist', 28, Great Avenham Street, Preston, 1855.

It was probably in 1855 when he moved away from bookbinding and set up as a Portrait Painter & Photographic Artist. His studio was at 28 Great Avenham Street Preston which was in a middle-class residential area, near to Avenham Park.

Portrait photograph taken by Thomas Ogle of Thomas Batty Addison (1787-1874); Recorder of Preston, appointed in 1832, J.P. for Lancaster from 1821 and chairman of the Preston Quarter Sessions.

Photo © courtesy of the Harris Museum, Preston.

Harris Museum Website

Thomas had some important commissions from local worthies for portrait photographs and the business appears to have been a success.

He started experimenting with stereographic photography and about 1857 went into partnership with Thomas Edge.

 
Thomas Ogle stereoview of Raglan Castle c1857.
Click on the image to enlarge.

Ogle & Edge began to specialise in scenic views, especially those of the Lake District, but also Yorkshire, Scotland and Wales. The stereoviews were sold all over the country and they produced several hundred different views. Ogle & Edge stereoviews are well-known to modern-day collectors.

A Victorian stereoviewer.
Click on the image to enlarge. 

Advert for the sale of Thomas Ogle's home, in 1862. I think this building later became a childrens' home and is now NSPCC offices.

The partnership with Thomas Edge ended in January, 1860 by which time they had produced several hundred, if not several thousand stereoviews which were still being sold all over Great Britain and abroad.

 He left Preston to live in the Lake District about 1861.

Advert (left) for the sale of Thomas Ogle's home, Crow Hill House, (now no.125),Oxford Street, Preston in 1862.

Thomas and Hannah moved first to Penrith, and then to Grange-Over-Sands, living at 4 Eggerslack Terrace. He continued as a photographer and ran a 'fancy repository.' His were amongst the first photogaphs to be used to illustrate books - they were pasted in by hand and include:

'The Lady of the Lake' by A.W. Bennett 1863.
'Our English Lakes, Mountains and Waterfalls as seen by William Wordsworth' 1864. 
'Ruined abbeys and castles of Great Britain and Ireland.' W. Howitt 1864.

There are some examples of his work taken in the Lake District and Scotland at the British Library which can be viewed online here.

Thomas Ogle died aged 68 in 1882; he left a legacy of marvellous photographs which are admired and much sought after to this day.