Evans, Frederick H.

Evans, Frederick H.

▪ British photographer
in full  Frederick Henry Evans 
born June 26, 1853, London, England
died June 24, 1943, London

      English photographer whose studies of cathedrals in England and France are considered among the world's finest architectural photographs.

      Little is known of Evans's early life. He first attracted attention as a London bookseller who accompanied his transactions with informative and stimulating conversation and who championed the work of two of his steady customers, the dramatist George Bernard Shaw (Shaw, George Bernard) and the artist Aubrey Beardsley (Beardsley, Aubrey).

 After purchasing a quarter-plate camera, suitable for landscape work, and educating himself in art history, Evans retired from bookselling in 1898 to devote all of his time to photographing the cathedrals of England and France. A fastidious craftsman, he often spent weeks studying the light in a cathedral at various times of day, waiting to catch the precise effect he sought. In Evans's view, light represented spiritual enlightenment. His style, which emphasized a cathedral's immense spaces and infinite variety of light and textures, culminated in works such as A Sea of Steps, Wells Cathedral (1903).

      A man of strong opinions on many subjects, Evans was constantly involved in controversy. His most impassioned beliefs involved what he considered to be the proper practice of photography. A purist, he believed in never altering a photographic image after exposing the film. His goal was to create an aesthetically and spiritually satisfying image, utilizing the play of light and shadow on static architectural structures. He did not try to capture spontaneous moments. His advice was largely ignored by younger photographers, and he spent the last years of his life virtually forgotten, privately publishing limited editions of platinotype editions of his collection of drawings by artists such as Beardsley.

Additional Reading
Beaumont Newhall, Frederick H. Evans (1973); Anne Hammond (ed.), Frederick H. Evans: Selected Texts and Bibliography (1992).

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • Evans, Frederick H(enry) — born June 26, 1853, London, Eng. died June 24, 1943, London British photographer. He first attracted attention as a popular London bookseller and champion of the work of George Bernard Shaw and Aubrey Beardsley. Around 1890 he began to photograph …   Universalium

  • Evans, Frederick H(enry) — (26 jun. 1853, Londres, Inglaterra – 24 jun. 1943, Londres). Fotógrafo británico. En un principio fue conocido como un afamado librero londinense y defensor de la obra de George Bernard Shaw y Aubrey Beardsley. Alrededor de 1890 comenzó a… …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Frederick H. Evans — Nacimiento 26 de junio de 1853  Reino Unido, Londres Fallecimiento …   Wikipedia Español

  • Evans — Evans, Arthur John Evans, Herbert * * * (as used in expressions) Mary Ann Evans Marian Evans Evans, Bill William John Evans Evans, Dame Edith (Mary) Evans, Frederick H(enry) Evans, George Henry Evans, Maurice (Herbert) Evans, Oliver Evans, Sir… …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Frederick H. Evans — Pour les articles homonymes, voir Evans. Frederick H. Evans (Londres, 26 juin 1853 idem, 24 juin 1943) est un photographe anglais. Sommaire 1 Biographie 2 Collections …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Frederick — /fred rik, euhr ik/, n. 1. a city in central Maryland. 27,557. 2. Also, Frederic. a male given name: from Germanic words meaning peace and ruler. * * * (as used in expressions) Ashton Sir Frederick William Mallandaine Frederick Austerlitz… …   Universalium

  • Frederick — (as used in expressions) Ashton, Sir Frederick (William Mallandaine) Frederick Austerlitz Attenborough, Sir David (Frederick) Banting, Sir Frederick Grant Birkenhead, Frederick Edwin Smith, 1 conde de Blanda, George (Frederick) Blunt, Anthony… …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Evans — /ev euhnz/, n. 1. Sir Arthur John, 1851 1941, English archaeologist. 2. Dame Edith, 1888 1976, English actress. 3. Herbert McLean /meuh klayn /, 1882 1971, U.S. embryologist and anatomist. 4. Mary Ann. See Eliot, George. 5. Maurice, born 1901,… …   Universalium

  • Frederick H. Evans — Frederick Henry Evans, fotografiert von Gertrude Käsebier Frederick Henry Evans (* 26. Juni 1853 in London; † 24. Juni 1943 in London) war ein britischer Fotograf. Nach einer Tätigkeit als Bankangestellter betrieb Evans seit den 1880er Jahren in… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Frederick Evans — may refer to: * Frederick H. Evans (1853–1943), British photographer, primarily of architectural subjects * Fred Evans (American football) (born 1983), Frederick H. Evans, American football defensive tackle * Frederick Evans (19th century),… …   Wikipedia

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