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Howard Coster

(1885-1959), Photographer

Sitter in 5 portraits
Artist associated with 9349 portraits
Howard Coster was born in London on 27 April 1885. He was introduced to photography through his uncle who owned a photographic studio where Coster worked before he moved to South Africa to try his hand at farming. After serving in the RAF during the war he worked in a studio in South Africa where he met his future wife Joan Burr, who was also a photographer. In 1926 they moved London and opened a studio on Essex Street. Coster quickly received commissions and began to use the credit line 'Coster, Photographer of Men'. Over the next twenty years he photographed most of the leading figures in politics, literature and the arts and his work was frequently published in magazines. The National Portrait Gallery holds around 8,000 negatives, 2,000 prints, 12 albums and archive material from the Coster studio and in 1985 held a retrospective of Coster’s work.

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Vera Brittain, by Howard Coster - NPG P712

Vera Brittain

by Howard Coster
chlorobromide lustre print, 1936
On display in Room 25 on Floor 2 at the National Portrait Gallery
NPG P712

Norman Wilkinson, by Howard Coster - NPG x24526

Norman Wilkinson

by Howard Coster
half-plate nitrate negative, 1920s
NPG x24526

J.B. Priestley, by Howard Coster - NPG Ax2243

J.B. Priestley

by Howard Coster
toned bromide print on flock paper, 1926
NPG Ax2243

Mr Macey, by Howard Coster - NPG Ax2241

Mr Macey

by Howard Coster
toned bromide print on flock paper, 1926
NPG Ax2241

Dion Clayton Calthrop, by Howard Coster - NPG Ax2242

Dion Clayton Calthrop

by Howard Coster
toned bromide print on flock paper, 1926
NPG Ax2242

Hendrik Malberg, by Howard Coster - NPG Ax2246

Hendrik Malberg

by Howard Coster
toned bromide print on flock paper, 1926
NPG Ax2246

M.S.G. Gordon, by Howard Coster - NPG Ax2251

M.S.G. Gordon

by Howard Coster
toned bromide print on flock paper, 1926
NPG Ax2251

Dion Clayton Calthrop, by Howard Coster - NPG x10232

Dion Clayton Calthrop

by Howard Coster
half-plate film negative, 1926
NPG x10232

Dion Clayton Calthrop, by Howard Coster - NPG x10233

Dion Clayton Calthrop

by Howard Coster
half-plate film negative, 1926
NPG x10233

Dion Clayton Calthrop, by Howard Coster - NPG x10234

Dion Clayton Calthrop

by Howard Coster
half-plate film negative, 1926
NPG x10234

Dion Clayton Calthrop, by Howard Coster - NPG x10235

Dion Clayton Calthrop

by Howard Coster
half-plate film negative, 1926
NPG x10235

G.K. Chesterton, by Howard Coster - NPG x10751

G.K. Chesterton

by Howard Coster
half-plate film negative, 1926
NPG x10751

G.K. Chesterton, by Howard Coster - NPG x10754

G.K. Chesterton

by Howard Coster
half-plate film negative, 1926
NPG x10754

G.K. Chesterton, by Howard Coster - NPG x10755

G.K. Chesterton

by Howard Coster
half-plate film negative, 1926
NPG x10755

G.K. Chesterton, by Howard Coster - NPG x10757

G.K. Chesterton

by Howard Coster
half-plate film negative, 1926
NPG x10757

G.K. Chesterton, by Howard Coster - NPG x10758

G.K. Chesterton

by Howard Coster
half-plate film negative, 1926
NPG x10758

G.K. Chesterton, by Howard Coster - NPG x10761

G.K. Chesterton

by Howard Coster
half-plate film negative, 1926
NPG x10761

G.K. Chesterton, by Howard Coster - NPG x10762

G.K. Chesterton

by Howard Coster
half-plate film negative, 1926
NPG x10762

G.K. Chesterton, by Howard Coster - NPG x10763

G.K. Chesterton

by Howard Coster
half-plate film negative, 1926
NPG x10763

G.K. Chesterton, by Howard Coster - NPG x10764

G.K. Chesterton

by Howard Coster
half-plate film negative, 1926
NPG x10764

G.K. Chesterton, by Howard Coster - NPG x10765

G.K. Chesterton

by Howard Coster
half-plate film negative, 1926
NPG x10765

G.K. Chesterton, by Howard Coster - NPG x10766

G.K. Chesterton

by Howard Coster
half-plate film negative, 1926
NPG x10766

G.K. Chesterton, by Howard Coster - NPG x10768

G.K. Chesterton

by Howard Coster
half-plate film negative, 1926
NPG x10768

G.K. Chesterton, by Howard Coster - NPG x10769

G.K. Chesterton

by Howard Coster
half-plate film negative, 1926
NPG x10769

G.K. Chesterton, by Howard Coster - NPG x10770

G.K. Chesterton

by Howard Coster
half-plate film negative, 1926
NPG x10770

E. Albert Cox, by Howard Coster - NPG x11074

E. Albert Cox

by Howard Coster
half-plate film negative, 1926
NPG x11074

E. Albert Cox, by Howard Coster - NPG x11075

E. Albert Cox

by Howard Coster
half-plate film negative, 1926
NPG x11075

E. Albert Cox, by Howard Coster - NPG x11078

E. Albert Cox

by Howard Coster
half-plate film negative, 1926
NPG x11078

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Jane Liddell-King

22 July 2020, 20:17

He photographed L. Susan Stebbing who was educated at Girton College and became the first woman to hold a Chair in Philosophy in Britain. She wa also the first woman president of the Humanists in the UK.