Hills & Saunders was one of the leading Victorian photographic firms, started in 1860 as a partnership between Robert Hills, a hairdresser and wigmaker, and John Henry Saunders (1836–1890). They were social photographers with studios at different times in: London (society), Harrow, Eton, and Rugby, all locations of leading schools, Oxford and Cambridge, and Aldershot & Sandhurst (centres of the British army). They were successful, being appointed as photographers to members of the royal family, including the Prince of Wales and Princess Beatrice, and they were given a Royal Warrant as photographers to Queen Victoria in 1867; many of their photographs are still in the Royal Collection.Hills & Saunders photos in the Royal Collection However, the network of branches did not remain united. The partnership of Robert Hills and John Henry Saunders was dissolved in 1889, although members of both families continued to operate local branches under the same name. Only the two main school branches, at Eton and Harrow, continued well into the 20th Century. Ultimately the Harrow business closed and the photo archive was acquired by the school, but the Eton business survived into the 21st century. In 2019 the historic company was acquired by its Oxfordshire based contemporary, Gillman & Soame, in order to preserve the extensive archives and ensure the future of the prestigious Victorian photographic studio.
Studios
London StudiosPritchard, M, A Directory of London Photographs 1841-1908, PhotoResearch, 1996. See also: http://www.photolondon.org.uk/pages/details.asp?pid=3820 1868-1869 - 48 Porchester Terrace, Bayswater, Kensington 1868-1886 - 36 Porchester Terrace, Bayswater, Kensington 1893-1895 - 47 Sloane Street, Chelsea Negatives / records believed destroyed Studio no longer exists
Harrow Studio 1861 - first recorded date in records 1865 - first advertisement Closed in the 1980s Negatives / records still exist - and can be found at Iconic Photographs
Eton Studio 1864-1894 to date. still going - Hills & Saunders is owned currently by Richard Shymansky ABIPP, AMPA and is now based in Dorney Reach, Maidenhead, but is still the Eton studio. Negatives / some of the records believed destroyed
Rugby Studio dates unknown - listed on CDV as a studio Negatives / records believed destroyed Studio no longer exists
Oxford Studio 1856-1935 Taken over by Gillman & Soame in Oxford 1931 Negatives / records believed destroyed Studio no longer exists under original name.
Cambridge Studio Dates unknown but bankrupt by 1892 Negatives / records believed destroyed Studio no longer exists
Aldershot Studio 1865-1879 Negatives / records believed destroyed Studio no longer exists
Sandhurst Studio Dates unknown Negatives / records believed destroyed Studio no longer exists
Yorktown Studio Dates unknown Negatives / records believed destroyed Studio no longer exists
Evidence of the existence of the Aldershot & Yorktown and other studios can be found here: http://whowerethey.wordpress.com/category/photographer/hills-saunders/
References
External links
hillsandsaunders.co.uk – website for the remaining branch of the company. harrowphotos.com – website for the one remaining archive of photos from the company - from their Harrow branch photolondon.org – website showing some of the firm's history st sepulchres.org.uk – grave of Robert Hills, with biographical information on him and his son-in-law John Henry Saunders, and information about the origins and early history of the firm