Valentine, James

About the artist

Name

Valentine, James

Biography

Born in Dundee in 1815 James Valentine would go on to become a founding member of the Edinburgh Photographic Society and manage his own successful commercial company.
In Dundee he set up an engraving and copperplate business with his father after studying art in Edinburgh. This continued until 1838 when he left to start his own business where he added lithographic printing, and in 1851 portrait photography. By 1855 the company had some of the largest photographic glasshouses in Britain as the new art of photography became evermore popular.
In the 1860s Valentine started to include landscape photography after studying the technique with Francis Firth. 1861 saw the establishment of the Edinburgh Photographic Society with Valentine as one of the seven founder members.
After a commission to produce views of Scottish scenery by Queen Victoria, he went on to obtain a Royal Warrant in 1868.
Until his death in 1879 he continued to expand his growing business in Dundee.

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