Oxford Road, Reading, c. 1920 - Victorian era public domain image

Professional photographer working during the 'golden years' of Victorian Britain, when the science and art of photography was developing new techniques. He photographed members of the royal family and politicians. The earliest evidence of Walton Adams' involvement in photography is that he worked as an apprentice in the Southampton studio of Samuel J. Wiseman (1825-1872) in 1861. It was there that he met William Stilliard. By 1869 Adams and Stilliard were in partnership at 9 Bernard Street, Southampton. The 'Cartes de Visite' described their business variously as the 'South of England Photographic Institution', 'Artists and Photographers' and 'Artists in Photography'. The company claimed the patronage of Queen Victoria, the Prince of Wales and Princess of Wales and the Belgian royal family.[6][4] In 1882 Adams was in partnership with Robert Scanlan, although this business arrangement was dissolved in 1883. Between 1886 and his retirement in 1922, Adams ran his business from a Studio at 27 and 29 Blagrave Street, Reading, a business card for this address is held by the Reading Museum. Photography historian S. K. May on the Southampton Victorian Photographers website speculates that Adams possibly worked with Richard Leach Maddox, the inventor of lightweight gelatin dry plates. Dr. Maddox was a medical practitioner and his interest in the possibilities of photography to aid medical practice brought him into contact with a small network of photographers in Southampton, one of which was Adams. There is a reference to Adams as the co-inventor of this process in the National Portrait Gallery's photographic archives.