Valentine Blanchard

Valentine Blanchard (1831 – 14 November 1901) was a prominent English photographer who was widely recognized for his artistic and technical contributions to photography in the 1860s.

According to Bill Jay, Blanchard "took stereoscopic pictures, cartes-de-visite, 'quality' portraits, instantaneous views, and art studies in platinum".

He was born and raised in Wisbech, the son of Lucy (née Bates) (1794–1871)[5] and Valentine Blanchard (b1790) a solicitor's clerk.

[8] By 1852 Valentine had completed his printing apprenticeship, moved to London and on 7 May 1854 he married Mary Ann Allen.

The "Study of an Italian Girl" is a genuine work of art, though the portrait might pass for that of a Hindu, so far as the features are concerned.

[17] He is listed on the general committee of the Photographic Salon held between 1 October and 4 November 1894 in the Dudley Gallery, Piccadilly.

[18] He was a member of the Solar Club, which consisted almost entirely of photographers (including Messrs. George Wharton Simpson, H. P. Robinson, W. Maylaud, Baden Pritchard, and other representatives of the art).

[22] His publications included A few plain words on carbon or pigment printing (1893), as well as articles in The British Journal of Photography [23] and The Photographic News from 1862 to 1901.

[26][27] Images are held in collections including the J Paul Getty Museum and the National Portrait Gallery.