Lost images by renowned Liverpool photographer Edward Chambré Hardman revealed

The collection spans fiifty years and includes portraits of 1950s and 60s celebrities to Liverpool’s high society and iconic shots of post-war Liverpool.
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A significant conservation project by the National Trust has saved around 16,000 photographic prints and negatives by renowned Liverpool photographer Edward Chambré Hardman and his wife Margaret, most of which have been hidden from public view for decades.

It is the only known 20th century collection where a photographer’s entire output has been preserved intact.

Portrait of E. Chambre Hardman. Image: National TrustPortrait of E. Chambre Hardman. Image: National Trust
Portrait of E. Chambre Hardman. Image: National Trust
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The collection spans fiifty years and includes subjects ranging from portraits of 1950s and 60s celebrities and Liverpool’s high society to British landscapes and iconic shots of post-war Liverpool, as well as business records and personal papers.

Most of the collection is stored securely in the archives at Liverpool Record Office, who also own a portion of items belonging to the Hardmans.

A landscape print of Glencoe, Scotland. Image: Hardman/National Trust.A landscape print of Glencoe, Scotland. Image: Hardman/National Trust.
A landscape print of Glencoe, Scotland. Image: Hardman/National Trust.

Lindsey Sutton, archivist at the National Trust, said: “Edward Chambré Hardman rarely threw anything away, so the collection we have represents nearly the entirety of the life and work he and his wife Margaret built.

“The vast size of the collection, previous storage methods and a lack of resource in the past has meant much of it hasn’t had the attention it needed.”

Margot Fonteyn. Image: Hardman/National TrustMargot Fonteyn. Image: Hardman/National Trust
Margot Fonteyn. Image: Hardman/National Trust
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In 2019, the Archives Revealed programme awarded funding to the National Trust to catalogue a significant portion of the collection, in partnership with Liverpool Record Office.

As part of the project, around 4,600 photographic prints, negatives and paper records have also been digitised to make them accessible to the public for the first time. The National Trust will publish these online later this year.

A Memory of Avignon. Image: Hardman/National TrustA Memory of Avignon. Image: Hardman/National Trust
A Memory of Avignon. Image: Hardman/National Trust

A further 5,000 photographs, negatives and paper records have also been catalogued. They will now be accessible to researchers and the public to explore either online or in-person by appointment at the Liverpool Record Office.

Lindsey Sutton said: “The Hardmans’ photographs were made to be seen, not hidden away from view. One of the most important aims of this project has been to make them more accessible for the public to enjoy.”

Portrait of Mrs Johnson’s baby, 1940, before restoration. Image: Hardman/National TrustPortrait of Mrs Johnson’s baby, 1940, before restoration. Image: Hardman/National Trust
Portrait of Mrs Johnson’s baby, 1940, before restoration. Image: Hardman/National Trust
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Throughout the process of cataloguing and conserving items in the collection, the project team were able to undertake a more thorough survey of what and how much it contained.

Previous estimates had put the size of the total collection at around 140,000 items, however the National Trust now believe this number to be much larger, and potentially double that amount.

Portrait of an unknown woman before restoration. Image: Hardman/National TrustPortrait of an unknown woman before restoration. Image: Hardman/National Trust
Portrait of an unknown woman before restoration. Image: Hardman/National Trust

Most of the work is being done at the Hardmans’ House, the couple’s preserved 1950s home and studio in Liverpool, where a photographic conservation studio has been set up on the top floor of the Georgian townhouse. Some of the more specialist work is being undertaken at Liverpool Record Office.

Anita Bools, senior national conservator of paper and photography at the National Trust, said: “World Photography Day is a perfect moment to give people an insight into the work that goes into conserving photographic prints and negatives. People are used to seeing the work that goes into conserving traditional artworks such as paintings, but maybe not photographs.”

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While this work is happening, the National Trust is getting ready to reopen the photographers’ 1950s home and studio, which is hidden away on Rodney Street in Liverpool’s Georgian Quarter. The Hardmans’ House will be open for limited guided tours on Fridays and Saturdays, 9 September – 29 October 2022.

Tickets will be available to book two weeks in advance from 25 August by telephone on 0344 249 1895 or via the property’s website. Pre-booking is recommended to guarantee a space.