Mr Rigby’s photographic studio
Why did a nineteenth century photographer in a Yorkshire village call his business the Australian studio? — a question prompted by a carte-de-visite I just bought.
The google map shows that Langsett is a small village in Yorkshire on the eastern edge of the hills of the Peak District. Street view shows that the village still sits in a farming landscape with fields enclosed by stone walls — the same as we see in the old photo. Barnsley, by contrast, is a substantial town. I surmise that the photograph is of Mr Rigby’s establishment outside the village of Langsett — in Barnsley he might have had more substantial premises.
I can imagine the photographer riding out from his headquarters in town to the little studio outside Langsett — a distance of about 11 miles — to photograph the folk from the farms around. The cosy timber framed studio, with its mock brick cladding and its big glass window and skylight, would have looked inviting to his clients. What would they have made of the name, Australian studio, on the neat sign?
I think Thomas Rigby and his younger brother Emmanuel went to Australia between the 1881 and 1891 uk census records. They appear again back in England in 1901 census. Thomas is still single but his brother has married and his daughter Mary Ann Rigby was born in Merevckier?? N.S.W Australia. Maybe Thomas became a photographer in Australia and so named his studio that. I have a photo of one of my relatives who lived in Langsett that was taken by Thomas Rigby.
I looked a bit further and Emmanuel Rigby married Jessie Fairley Gillespie in 1890 in Merewether N.S.W Australia.The daughter that was born there Mary Ann Rigby was living with her uncle Thomas Rigby and her grandfather John Rigby in Barnsley in 1911. Thomas Rigby died 10 Nov 1936 in Barnsley and in his will of 1592 pounds it mentioned his younger brother Walter Rigby a retired chemist.
Susan: Thank you very much for these interesting and useful facts!
Following on from Susan's post, I can confirm Sandy Barrie in "Australians Behind the Camera" only lists one photographer named Rigby in all of Australia, in the partnership Russell & Rigby, Darling River, NSW in 1895. I note Emmanuel Rigby died 11 Feb 1934 in Barnsley. I can find him in the 1881 and 1901 censuses and also Walter in 1881-1901. I can only find Thomas in the 1881 aged 18 colliery labourer but not in the 1891 or 1901 - can you please give more details? James Rigby their brother also became a chemist (1901 census). Cheers! Marcel
Hi Marcel, Well in 1901 Thomas Rigby was living in Upper Midhope which is just round the corner from Langsett. He was boarding with a farmer named Joshua Bramall. Thomas is listed as a photographer aged 38..I only found him there because my relative was an 18 year old domestic in the same house.In the 1911 census Thomas is living with his fatherJohn Rigby at the Victoria Hotel 160 Sheffield road Barnsley..also living at that address is Emmanuels daughter Mary Ann who was born in Australia..she is working as a barmaid. I believe Thomas took over the running of the pub after his father John died until his own death. Regards Susan
Reading through the Wood's Penistone Almanack of 1902 an entry regarding the building of the Langsett reservoir : Five men fell down a shaft two killed and three recovering under Dr Wilson. During their convalesence Mr Rigby, the towns photographer, took an interesting picture of a group of the injured men, the doctor, and the nurse: