Illustrated Catalogue of the Known Photographs of Alfred Russel Wallace

by George Beccaloni

This is a attempt to catalogue all known photographs of Wallace, and it is far from complete at present. Wallace was only photographed about five times prior to his departure to the Malay Archipelago in 1854 (because photography was in its early stages and Wallace was not rich), but towards the end of his life he was photographed frequently (because he was famous and photography was by then cheap and easy to do). Many of the photos taken in the first half of his life were by his brother-in-law Thomas Sims (1826 - 1910), who was a professional photographer (more information HERE and HERE), but he was photographed by many other people as well.

Note that Wallace always wore the parting in his hair on his left - so any photos showing the parting on his right are mirror images. Also note that all of the photos below are also present in the Image Galleries under Images of Wallace. High resolution versions of most of them can be supplied for use in publications and broadcasts (for more information CLICK HERE).

Click a thumbnail to see a larger version version of the image.

	DESCRIPTION	PHOTOGRAPHER, WHERE IMAGE FIRST PUBLISHED AND/OR LOCATION(S) OF ORIGINAL COPIES
	ARW in 1847 (not 1848) aged 24 before he left for the Amazon. This is the earliest known image of ARW.	Photographer: Unknown. First published in ARW's My Life. I do not know if the original (a Daguerreotype) survives, but a photograph taken of it is present in the Natural History Museum's, (London) Wallace Archive (CLICK HERE).
	ARW, his sister Fanny & his mother in c. 1852.	Photographer: Unknown. The original was almost certainly an ambrotype. This image was scanned from a print in a private collection.
	ARW in 1853 aged 30 after his return from the Amazon.	Photographer: Thomas Sims. The original was almost certainly an ambrotype. First published in ARW's My Life. I do not know whether the original survives.
	ARW in 1853 or 1854.	Photographer unknown. Photo of the original ambrotype in a private collection.
	Wallace playing chess with his sister Fanny in 1853 or 1854.	Photographer unknown. Photo of the original ambrotype in a private collection.
	ARW (aged 39) and his good friend Frederick Geach in Singapore in February 1862, just before ARW returned to Britain. This is the only known photograph taken of ARW whilst he was in the Malay Archipelago.	Photographer unknown. Photo of the original in a private collection. There is an old second generation copy of this photograph in the NHM's Wallace Archive
	This is an altered version of the above photo - Geach having been painted out.	First published in Marchant (1916). See above.
	ARW in c. 1862 aged c. 39, soon after his return from the Malay Archipelago.	Photographer: Thomas Sims. Scan of a hand-coloured cdv in a private collection. All other versions of this image (e.g. the image published in Marchant (1916)) are copies of this original, since blemishes unique to this print are present on these later copies. There is an old black & white second generation copy of this photograph in the NHM's Wallace Archive.
	ARW in c. 1864-65.	Photographer: Sawyer & Bird, London. Scanned from an original cdv in a private collection.
	In My Life Wallace says that this photo was taken in 1869 i.e. when he was aged 46 and living in Regent's Park, London. However, his son William thought it was taken between 1863 and 1866 (see HERE). A large version of this photograph, which has been painted over in oil paints, is in the National Portrait Gallery (presumably the background was added in paint). A painting by Evstafieff of ARW in the Malay Archipelago was based on this image (CLICK HERE).	Photographer: Thomas Sims. First published in ARW's My Life.
	Carte de visite signed by Wallace, which he sent to one of his correspondents. This is the same photo as above.	Photographer: Thomas Sims. Photo of an original cdv in the NHM's Wallace Archive.
	Same image as above, but not mounted up as a cdv.	Photographer: Thomas Sims. Scan of an original print in a private collection.
	Two versions of the same image which were probably prepared for printing. The lower one was probable the image used to prepare the plate in My Life (see above).	These two images were scanned from the original prints in a private collection.
	ARW possibly taken in c. 1869. At least two slightly different images resulted from this sitting.	Photographer: Thomas Sims. Original print was probably in cdv format. I don't know whether an original of this particular version exists.
	A slightly different version of the above image.	Photographer: Thomas Sims. Scan of an original cdv in a private collection.
	According to Raby (2001) this is ARW with his son Bertie (Herbert Spencer, b. 22 June 1867, d. 24 April 1874). Bertie looks to be less than a year old in this photo, which would date it to 1867/68. If this is correct then it calls into question the dating of the two images directly above, since Wallace looks considerably older in this photo than he does in the above images.	Photographer: "Photographic Studio, Portland Bazaar, Langham Place, London". Scan of original cdv in a private collection. There is an old copy of this photograph in the NHM's Wallace Archive.
	ARW in 1877.	Photographer: W. Usherwood, Dorking, Surrey. Scan of original cdv in a private collection.
	ARW on Sept. 14 1878, aged 55.	Photographer: Maull & Fox, London. First published in Charles Darwin, More Letters of Charles Darwin (1903), Vol. 2: between pp. 12 & 13. Scanned from an original cabinet card in a private collection.
	ARW on Sept. 14 1878 at the same sitting as the above.	Photographer: Maull & Fox, London. Scanned from an original cdv in a private collection.
	Wallace in his LL.D. robes in 1882. He was awarded two LL.D.s (honorary doctorates) - this one from Dublin University, and one from Oxford University in 1889.	Photographer: Geo. Mansfield, Dublin. Scan of an original cdv in a private collection.
	Cabinet card signed by Wallace. Wellcome Images says this photo was taken in 1889.	Photographer: Thomas Sims. Photo of an original cabinet card in the NHM's Archives.
	ARW in garden of Corfe View, his house in Parkstone, Dorset, in August 1896	Photographer: Unknown. Scan of an original print in a private collection.
	Wallace and family having a picnic at Badbury Rings on 23 August 1901.	Photographer unknown.
	Another version of the above. On the back of this print it says that the sitters are ARW, his wife Annie, their daughter Violet, their son William and "Miss Milten (left)".	Photographer: Unknown. Scan of an original print in a private collection.
	ARW in 1902 aged 80. Taken in Parkstone, Dorest.	Photographer: Miss Chant. Published in ARW's My Life.
	ARW in a greenhouse.	Photographer: Unknown. Scan of an original print in a private collection.
	ARW in ?	Photographer: Unknown. Scan of an original print in a private collection.
	ARW admiring Eremus robustus about 1905.	Photographer unknown. First published in Marchant (1913).
	ARW in old age.	Photographer unknown.
	ARW in old age.	Photographer unknown.
	Carte de visite. I suspect that this card was produced for sale to the public. The signature on it does not look like it was written by Wallace.	Photographer unknown.
	ARW in old age.	Photographer unknown. Published in Nature, 89 (13 June 1912).
	ARW in his greenhouse at Old Orchard.	Photographer unknown.
	ARW, his wife Annie and their daughter Violet.	Photographer unknown. Scan of an original print in a private collection.
	ARW and his daughter Violet.	Photographer unknown. Scan of an original print in a private collection.
	ARW and his wife Annie.	Photographer unknown. Scan of an original print in a private collection.
	ARW and two unidentified people.	Photographer unknown. Scan of an original print in a private collection.
	ARW in 1912 aged 89.	Photographer unknown. Published in Marchant (1916).
	ARW in 1913. This was taken in the year that he died.	Photographer unknown. Published in Marchant (1916).