Jane Wigley

Jane Nina Wigley (1806–1883) was one of the earliest British female commercial photographers, who operated studios in Newcastle and London.

Wiley was born on 4 November 1806.[1] She purchased a licence for 'Newcastle, Gateshead and the surrounding towns' from the patentee Richard Beard to operate the daguerreotype process and opened a studio in the Royal Arcade, Newcastle upon Tyne in September 1845.[2] In June 1847, she moved her business to London where she produced coloured or enamelled daguerreotypes in King's Road, Chelsea (1847–1848) and Fleet Street (1848–1855).[3]

Wigley was apparently a pioneer in the use of a prism in the camera in order to reverse the daguerreotype image.[4]

References

1. Census of England and Wales
2. Newcastle Journal, September 1845
3. "Wigley, Jane Nina" Archived 23 April 2013 at archive.today, photoLondon. Retrieved 2 April 2013.
4. Robert Leggat, "Women Pioneers of Photography" Archived 2 December 2021 at the Wayback Machine. A History of Photography. Retrieved 2 April 2013.