William Silvester Laroche
(1840-1889), PhotographerArtist of 1 portrait
Born in London, William Silvester Laroche was the son of photographer Martin Laroche and his wife Angelique. He operated various studios in Birmingham before settling in Llandudno in around 1872. With the opening of the town's first seaside hotel and the arrival of the railwaya in the 1850s, pioneering photographers, including Roger Fenton and Francis Bedford, also set up their studios there, catering to the influx of holidaymakers. Laroche's 'Rock Studio' was based in a cavern (created from quarrying) known today as Happy Valley. He also ran a conventional studio at 43 Mostyn Street. The 'Rock Studio' continued to operate after Laroche's death and remained on site until the 1950s.
Thomas Stevenson; Robert Louis Stevenson; Margaret Isabella Stevenson (née Balfour)
by William Silvester Laroche
albumen carte-de-visite, September 1874
NPG P2026
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