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George Washington Wilson

(1823-1893)

Artist of 22 portraits
Began his career as a portrait miniature painter, but started using photography in the late 1840s. By 1852, he was offering his sitters a photographic alternative to the painted portrait. In 1853 John Hay and Wilson established the partnership of Wilson and Hay, Photographers. This partnership was short-lived, but secured the important patronage of Queen Victoria, who commissioned them to make a record of the building of Balmoral Castle. Wilson first photographed the Queen in 1855. He went on to pioneer techniques for photography outside of the studio and the mass production of photographic prints. At the time of his death his photographic business was estimated to be the largest in Britain.

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'Stag shot by the Prince on Corrie-Buie, October 5th 1854', by George Washington Wilson - NPG P22(10)

'Stag shot by the Prince on Corrie-Buie, October 5th 1854'

by George Washington Wilson
albumen print, 1854
NPG P22(10)

John Grant & the same Stag, by George Washington Wilson - NPG P22(13)

John Grant & the same Stag

by George Washington Wilson
albumen print, 1854
NPG P22(13)

John H Macdonald and the Stag shot by the Prince, by George Washington Wilson - NPG P22(11)

John H Macdonald and the Stag shot by the Prince

by George Washington Wilson
albumen print, 1854
NPG P22(11)

The old gardener Simpson....and his wife, by George Washington Wilson - NPG P22(14)

The old gardener Simpson....and his wife

by George Washington Wilson
albumen print, 1854
NPG P22(14)

Donald Stewart and the same Stag, by George Washington Wilson - NPG P22(27)

Donald Stewart and the same Stag

by George Washington Wilson
albumen print, 1854
NPG P22(27)

D. Kennedy, J. Smith, Willy Stewart, John Brown, F. Farquarson, John Morgan, Charlie Coutts, P. Robertson and John Grant, by George Washington Wilson - NPG P22(17)

D. Kennedy, J. Smith, Willy Stewart, John Brown, F. Farquarson, John Morgan, Charlie Coutts, P. Robertson and John Grant

by George Washington Wilson
albumen print, 1857
NPG P22(17)

Mrs Grant, by George Washington Wilson - NPG P22(19)

Mrs Grant

by George Washington Wilson
albumen print, 1857
NPG P22(19)

Mary Symons; Victoria-Alice Symons, by George Washington Wilson - NPG P22(15)

Mary Symons; Victoria-Alice Symons

by George Washington Wilson
albumen print, 1857
NPG P22(15)

The children of John Grant, by George Washington Wilson - NPG P22(16)

The children of John Grant

by George Washington Wilson
albumen print, 1857
NPG P22(16)

Mr MacDonald and the stag shot by the Prince in Corrie Buie on 5 October, by George Washington Wilson - NPG P22(23)

Mr MacDonald and the stag shot by the Prince in Corrie Buie on 5 October

by George Washington Wilson
albumen print, 1858
NPG P22(23)

Royal Stag shot by the Prince, by George Washington Wilson - NPG P22(22)

Royal Stag shot by the Prince

by George Washington Wilson
albumen print, 1858
NPG P22(22)

Peter Farquarson, by George Washington Wilson - NPG P22(18)

Peter Farquarson

by George Washington Wilson
albumen print, 1860
NPG P22(18)

Mrs Duncan and her children, by George Washington Wilson - NPG P22(21)

Mrs Duncan and her children

by George Washington Wilson
albumen print, 1861
NPG P22(21)

Tammie Gow, by George Washington Wilson - NPG P22(20)

Tammie Gow

by George Washington Wilson
albumen print, 1861
NPG P22(20)

John Grant, Mrs Grant & their Children, 1861, by George Washington Wilson - NPG P22(12)

John Grant, Mrs Grant & their Children, 1861

by George Washington Wilson
albumen print, 1861
NPG P22(12)

Mrs Donald Stewart and her children, by George Washington Wilson - NPG P22(26)

Mrs Donald Stewart and her children

by George Washington Wilson
albumen print, 1861
NPG P22(26)

John Stirling, by George Washington Wilson - NPG Ax14928

John Stirling

by George Washington Wilson
albumen carte-de-visite, 1860s
NPG Ax14928

John Murray, by George Washington Wilson - NPG x126859

John Murray

by George Washington Wilson
albumen carte-de-visite, 1860s-1870s
NPG x126859

John Brown; Queen Victoria, by George Washington Wilson - NPG x197188

John Brown; Queen Victoria

by George Washington Wilson
albumen carte-de-visite, 1863
On display at Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas, USA
NPG x197188

Thomas Guthrie, by George Washington Wilson - NPG x76466

Thomas Guthrie

by George Washington Wilson
albumen carte-de-visite, late 1860s
NPG x76466

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