England, William, d. 1896 : William England (18- 1896) began his career as a daguerreotypist in London, England between 1840-1845, but by 1854, had abandoned photographic portraiture. Between 1854-62, he worked for the London Stereoscopic Company, becoming its chief photographer, and contributing to its reputation with thousands of plates of stereoscopic views of Ireland, United States, as well as Canada, Switzerland, and other locations. In 1858, he travelled to Ireland, and in 1859 went to the United States and Canada. As a result, he produces as series of stereo views entitled "America", the first photos of the United States distributed in Europe. Included in this series are views of a train crossing the Niagara River, Blondin crossing the Niagara Falls on a tight rope, and a number of landscape views. In 1861, he visited Paris, where he invented a shutter of variable openings. In 1862, he photographed the International Exhibition in London. In 1863, he made a series in Switzerland; between 1863-65 he published stereoscopic views taken during the summer in Switzerland, the Tyrol and italy. As a specialist in Alpine views, he obtained the patronage and support of the British Alpine Club who published some of his images. In 1865, he published an album containing 77 panoramic views of Switzerland, Savoy and italy. In 1868, he published an album of 72 panoramic views of the Rhine. In 1871, he became a member of the London Photographic Society. One of his innovations, in response to the problem of cracks appearing in the collodion layer on plates, was to polish plates in order to reduce the problem.
In 1886, he first became the vice-president and then the president of the London Photographic Society. In 1888, he presented an exhibition of photolithographs and copies of etchings at the Crystal Palace, London, using gelatine chloride plates. In 1889, he was one of the judges at the Universal Exhibition, later becoming vice-president of the jury, as well as chairman of West London Photographic Society of which he is a member. in 1890, he was responsible for the management of the Solar Club of Great Britain. He died in London in 1896.
William England's studio was at 7 St. James Square, while he lived in Notting Hill. He used the daguerreotype as well as the wet and dry collodion processes, and from these plates produced albumen prints.
