William Downey And Daniel Downey

Place: South Shields

Born: 1829

Death: 1915

Biography:

W. & D. Downey were Victorian studio photographers operating in London from the 1860s to the 1910s. The Downey brothers, William and Daniel, were born in South Shields, England. William Downey, who came to be known as the Queen's Photographer, was born in 1829 and died in 1915. Daniel Downey, who was also a photographer, was born in 1831 and died in 1881. The Downey brothers opened their first studio in South Shields in 1856 and later established branches in Blyth, Morpeth, Newcastle, and London. They received their first Royal commission to provide photographs for Queen Victoria of the Hartley Colliery Disaster in 1862. In 1863, William Downey set up a studio in the Houses of Parliament and produced portraits of every parliamentarian of the day. The location of these images is unknown. The Downey brothers were known for their high-quality portraits and were appointed as photographers to the British Royal Family and other European and Asian royalty. They established studios in London at 6 Ebury Street (1872 – 8), and subsequently at 51 Ebury Street (1879) and 57 Ebury Street (1880 – 90), although much of their printing and finishing was still completed in Newcastle. The Downey brothers were active in London until the 1910s.