Skip to content

Thomas Barnes, Photographer

January 13, 2025
by the gentle author

The most prolific nineteenth century East End photographer was Thomas Barnes, responsible for producing over one hundred thousand portraits taken between 1858 and 1885 at his studio at 422 Mile End Rd in Bow.

Although these cartes de visite are nameless, Barnes numbered most of his pictures – enabling us to create a sequence and establish an indication of their dates, as demonstrated by these fine examples selected  from Philip Mernick‘s collection gathered over the past twenty years.

Remembered today primarily for his widely-discredited before-and-after photos commissioned by Dr Barnardo, nevertheless Thomas Barnes’ studio portraits reveal a photographer of abundant talent and accomplishment. It is a poignant gallery of withheld emotion, bringing us face to face with anonymous long-dead East Enders who are now inhabitants of Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park.

Number 4178 – taken between 1858 & 1864

Unnumbered

Number 21236 – 1867

Number 33999 – taken around 1870

Number 34101 – taken around 1870

Number 37432 – taken after 1873

Unnumbered

Number 38774 – taken after 1873

Number 41536 – taken mid-1870s

Unnumbered

Number 43979 – taken mid-1870s

Number 44425 – taken prior to 1877

Number 47385 – taken prior to 1877

Number 53458 – 1877

Number 56157 – 1877

Unnumbered

Number 57248 – 1877

Number 65460 – taken between 1877 and 1880

Number 75384 – taken after 1880

Photographs reproduced courtesy of Philip Mernick

Biographical details of Thomas Barnes supplied by David Webb

You may also like to take a look at

Philip Mernick’s East London Shopfronts

Libby Hall’s Dogs of Old London

5 Responses leave one →
  1. January 13, 2025

    These are wonderful photographs. I hope that some ancestors may have copies and can identify some of the individuals. They also show the dress and styles of the period beautifully.
    I only have one photograph of my great grandfather from a slightly later period. They were impoverished but turned out in their best clothes, perhaps borrowed, looking like members of the aristocracy. One great aunt appeared rather fond of being photographed as I have several of her, in different outfits and poses.
    Thank you Philip and the GA.

  2. Marcia Howard permalink
    January 13, 2025

    That is an impressive number. Some wonderful images here too. I have a couple of similar portraits in our family albums of grandparents and other long lost relatives captured on early film

  3. January 13, 2025

    That’s interesting: Thomas Barnes numbered all his photos. And yet we still don’t know exactly WHEN the photos were taken. That would NEVER have happened to my grandfather: ALL family photos were accurately labelled with the date, the object, the names of the people. My father adopted this method. And what can I say: me too, of course!

    Love & Peace
    ACHIM

  4. Christine permalink
    January 13, 2025

    Beautiful photos and sadly we will never know who these people were who could afford to have their photos taken!

  5. Jeane permalink
    January 13, 2025

    We are but shadows.

Leave a Reply

Note: Comments may be edited. Your email address will never be published.

Subscribe to this comment feed via RSS