J W Brunskill was a local photographer who had a studio in Bowness, Windermere between 1860 and 1900. Biographical information about Brunskill is very sketchy but we know from the trade directories that he was one of the first professional photographers to operate in Bowness. The Armitt has recently acquired a collection of his glass plates. The collection of just over 17,000 glass plates (1.5 tons!) covers the period 1860-1906. The plates are portraits, nearly all of which are named and dated. The images cover a wide range of social groups from yeoman farmers to the local MP as well as portraits of tourists and their servants staying in the local area.
The Collection provides a valuable source of images for genealogists and those researching their own family history, whilst also being of interest to academics/students looking into the subject of fashion and clothing in the mid to late nineteenth century.
To find out more about the Armitt and its important collections, and print purchase, visit
www.armitt.com
