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Arthur James Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour (1848-1930), Prime Minister and philosopher

Sitter in 113 portraits
Balfour first made his mark as a philosopher, publishing A Defence of Philosophic Doubt in 1879. He entered politics in 1874 through the patronage of his uncle, Lord Salisbury. He succeeded Salisbury as prime minister in 1902 but was unable to keep together a party divided by issues of Free Trade and Protectionism. He resigned in December 1905. During the First World War, he worked as First Lord of the Admiralty and, from 1916 to 1919, as Foreign Secretary. The Balfour Declaration of November 1917 gave British support to 'the establishment in Palestine of a home for the Jewish people'. Balfour continued in politics until the age of eighty: he had served for twenty-seven years as a member of the cabinet.

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x8283

Arthur James Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour

by Sir (John) Benjamin Stone
platinum print, 1891-1892
NPG x8283

x179

Arthur James Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour

by W. & D. Downey
carbon print, published 1894
NPG x179

x374

Arthur James Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour

by London Stereoscopic & Photographic Company
carbon print, before 1895
NPG x374

Ax41284

Ethel Anne Priscilla (Ettie) Grenfell (Fane), Lady Desborough; Sir William Vernon Harcourt; Arthur James Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour

by Lafayette (Lafayette Ltd), photogravure by Walker & Boutall
photogravure, 1897
NPG Ax41284

x8284

Arthur James Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour

by Sir (John) Benjamin Stone
platinum print in card window mount, November 1899
NPG x8284

x32628

'The Harvard and Yale (Henley Crews) visitors to the Terrace of the House of Commons (Introduction to Mr Balfour)'

by Sir (John) Benjamin Stone
platinum print in card window mount, July 1899
NPG x32628

x96263

Arthur James Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour

by Alexander Bassano
half-plate glass negative, 1900?
NPG x96263

x177

Arthur James Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour

by London Stereoscopic & Photographic Company
albumen cabinet card, August 1902
NPG x177

x180

Arthur James Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour

by London Stereoscopic & Photographic Company
platinum print, August 1902
NPG x180

x181

Arthur James Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour

by London Stereoscopic & Photographic Company
August 1902
NPG x181

x8451

Arthur James Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour

by George Charles Beresford
platinum print, 1902
NPG x8451

x45401

Arthur James Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour

by Henry Walter ('H. Walter') Barnett
vintage bromide print, 1903
NPG x45401

x81437

Arthur James Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour

by Henry Walter ('H. Walter') Barnett
whole-plate glass negative, 1903
NPG x81437

x81438

Arthur James Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour

by Henry Walter ('H. Walter') Barnett
whole-plate glass negative, 1903
NPG x81438

x81439

Arthur James Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour

by Henry Walter ('H. Walter') Barnett
whole-plate glass negative, 1903
NPG x81439

x81441

Arthur James Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour

by Henry Walter ('H. Walter') Barnett
whole-plate glass negative, 1903
NPG x81441

x81442

Arthur James Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour

by Henry Walter ('H. Walter') Barnett
whole-plate glass negative, 1903
NPG x81442

x81443

Arthur James Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour

by Henry Walter ('H. Walter') Barnett
whole-plate glass negative, 1903
NPG x81443

x81444

Arthur James Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour

by Henry Walter ('H. Walter') Barnett
whole-plate glass negative, 1903
NPG x81444

x89004

'Luncheon party at the House of Commons'

by Sir John Alexander Cockburn
platinum print, 9 July 1907
NPG x89004

Category
Politics, Government and Diplomacy
Scholarship and Research
Groups
British Prime Ministers
The Souls
Place
East Lothian