Charles Hay Cameron

c. 1863

A camera from her daughter

For Christmas her daughter and son-in-law gave the 48-year-old Cameron a camera, to amuse her in her solitude at Freshwater while her husband was in Ceylon; a hen-house became her studio and the coal-house her darkroom. She took a lesson from the photographer David Wilkie Wynfield, to whom, she said, she owed “all my attempts and indeed consequently all my success”.

1864

Elected to the Photographic Society of London

In 1864 Cameron compiled albums of her photographs for Watts and Herschel, registered her work and prepared it for exhibition and sale. She was elected to the Photographic Society of London, showing at its annual exhibitions and remaining a member until her death.

1864–1875

Eleven years of photography

Cameron's career as a photographer lasted from 1864 to 1875: in that time she made more than 900 photographs, portraying great Victorians — Darwin, Tennyson, Browning, Longfellow, Herschel, Watts, Trollope, Carlyle and the actress Ellen Terry. The Virgin Mary in her religious scenes was most often played by her housekeeper, Mary Hillier.

1865

The South Kensington Museum buys 80 photographs

In August 1865 the South Kensington Museum (now the Victoria and Albert Museum) bought 80 of her photographs.

November 1865

First solo exhibition

In November 1865 Cameron held her first solo exhibition; her work was shown throughout Europe.

1865–1866

Awards in Berlin

Her work won awards in Berlin in 1865 and 1866 and an honourable mention in Dublin.