He was raised in a large family in a mansion near Hyde Park where he continued to live, with his invalid brother Henry and two unmarried sisters, long after the death of his parents.
[1] Edward Hudson turned out to be an astute businessman, embracing advances in the printing world which led to the growth of the company into publishing.
Hudson was introduced to important figures in the publishing world and after he met the chairman of the News of the World, Lord Riddell and Sir George Newnes, a publisher who had made his fortune through the widely read magazine Tit-Bits, Hudson started producing his first magazines in partnership with the firm of George Newnes Ltd. On 8 January 1897, Country Life Illustrated, subtitled ‘A journal for all interested in country life and country pursuits, with which is incorporated Racing Illustrated’ was introduced to the British public.
[2] Out of the failing readership for Racing Illustrated emerged a glossy new magazine that was popular from the outset and was to evolve in 1903 into the early lifestyle magazine Country Life; Edward Hudson’s magnum opus and a project he oversaw for the rest of life.
New machines invented in Germany in the 1880s made the printing of mass-market periodicals illustrated with photographs a commercial reality for the first time.
[12] Work by Hudson & Kearns is now held by numerous museums and galleries from 29 photogravure portraits published by the company in the National Portrait Gallery, London[13] to a Mappin & Webb Ltd catalogue printed by them and held by the Metropolitan Museum, New York.
[18] Hudson was the owner of two other Lutyens-designed houses, Deanery Garden in Sonning (c.1899-1907), designed and built 1899–1901,[19] and Plumpton Place, Sussex (1927-36 but not occupied);[20] the properties were featured in Country Life in 1903 and 1933 respectively.