SUTCLIFFE, Frank Meadow

b. 1853; d. 1941

Sutcliffe originally started photography using wet collodion in 1875, but soon after turned towards dry plates. His artistic work centred round landscapes and life in around the fishing ports of Yorkshire.

Sutcliffe followed in the wake of Emerson, whose fame lies in the photographing of the Whitby scene. His most famous image is called "Water rats" (1886), a delightful picture which caused considerable controversy, and the wrath of the Whitby clergy for corruption of the young; it is said that they excommunicated Sutcliffe for exhibiting what they felt to be an indecent print "to the corruption of the young and the other sex". By contrast the Prince of Wales (later Edward VII) purchased a copy of the picture.

What is interesting is that he had followed Emerson's suggestion that instead of having the entire picture sharp (the aim of every early photographer whether or not they succeeded) he softened part of the picture, and the background in "Water Rats" is very soft and diffuse.

Sutcliffe was a member of the Photographic Society, but being opposed to the emphasis at that time on technique, left it to become a founder-member of the Linked Ring Brotherhood, 1892.

He retired from photography in 1922, but remained a curator of the Whitby Literary and Philosophical Society from 1923 until shortly before his death.

A photographer who is regarded as a pictorialist, there is also the documentary aspect of much of his work, portraying as it does the life of the times, with their street musicians, farmers, and other ordinary people. The full extent of his contribution was not recognised until long after his death.

His work may be seen at the Whitby Literary and Philosophical Society, Whitby.

He obviously had a good sense of humour, and describes in A.P. ( March 6th, 1902) an occasion when another photographer got into difficulties:

"There are two piers at Whitby, which, though starting from points widely apart, almost touch each other where they end. The one pier is given up to fashion and frivolity, the other is deserted, except by fishermen and photographers.

One evening last summer, when the band was playing ".Ehren on the Rhine,” an't the sitters on the seats were tapping their feet on the ground to prevent the band playing out of time, a solitary photographer might have been seen on the other pier unpacking his apparatus. At last he had got it all unpacked, and his polished mahogany camera and lens “shone like a burning flame together” in the rays of the setting sun, towards which it was pointed. Slowly the sun sank, till it nearly touched the sea.

What was the solitary photographer going to take at this time of night? The crowd on the other pier began to be interested in him.
Soon the end of one pier was crowded with people watching the solitary photgrapher on the other pier.
' He expects a ship coming in,” said one.
“No, he is waiting till the lamps are lit,” said another.
“He wants to take a moonlight photograph,” said a third.
“No, he wants to take the sun as it dips into the sea,” said a fourth.
"What beautiful legs he has got! ” said a fifth.
“Yes, but his coat does not fit,” said a sixth.
“And his ears stick out,” said a seventh.

“Look! Look!” said everyone at once, "he is taking off the cap.” And so he was, but just as he was putting it on again, the cap fell down on to the pier; it fell on its edge and began to roll. The photographer looked at the rolling cap, then at the lens, undecided whether to rush for the cap and put it on the lens, or to take his coat off and throw over the whole camera. He decided to run after the cap, which by this time was perilously near the edge of the pier. As he did so, one of his legs got entangled with one of the tripod legs, which had called forth such admiration from one of the crowd. Down came the tripod, camera, and all, with a crash; the cap gave a little jump and went into the sea. The photographer stood aghast. The crowd cheered to a man.

The photographer slowly picked up the pieces and went home."

The Sutcliffe Galleries still exist, as does a web-site on his work. See www.sutcliffe-gallery.co.uk/

Since writing this piece from the Amateur Photographer, Mr. H. Bell has written pointing out what would seem to be an inconsistency. He writes: "Reading the account of the photographer on the Whitby pier supposedly awaiting the setting sun over the sea, Whitby is on the east coast and as such the wait would have been infinite, as most photographers could tell you the sun sets in a westerly location which is variable according to time of year, but easterly, never!"

Never too late to learn new things!

© Robert Leggat, 2003.