3rd Viscount and 1st Count of “Torre Bela”, (b. Monte, 25-11-1829; d. Funchal, 6-4-1906) diplomat and patent photographer in our permanent
exhibition.
British subject and Commander of “Nossa Senhora da Conceição de Vila Viçosa”, married in St. John´s Wood, Westminster, with Filomena Gabriela Correia Brandão de Bettencourt Henriques de Noronha, 3rd viscountess and 1st countess of “Torre Bela”, with whom he had children.
In addition to being a renowned photographer, with regular presence at international exhibitions, where he presented images captured on the Madeira Island, he was also a photography specialist / researcher, having produced several photographic essays that contributed to the dry collodion development, which later gave rise to the gelatin and silver bromide process. He produced a large number of negatives, with images taken from his residence balcony at the Colégio palace, for the church of São João Evangelista churchyard, where he inscribed several technical notes that were used to record his discoveries and to test the material photographic produced by John Henry Dallmeyer (1830-1883) and JH Thomas Ross (1859-1906), firms he represented as a consultant.
Russel Gordon published his work in several international photographic journals, with emphasis on The illustrated London News (1868, p.425), the world first illustrated weekly newspaper, which was founded in 1842, in London. He participated in several international exhibitions, including the exhibition held in Paris between May and August 1861 by the “Sociéte Francaise de Photographie”, where he exhibited a collection of 21 views of Madeira, and the “International Exhibition of London” in 1862. He was a prestigious Royal Photographic Society member, since its founding date (1853).
Credits: Museu de Fotografia da Madeira - Atelier Vicente's.
21.5 x 16.5 cm | Simple negative, glass | Silver salt gelatin
MFM-AV, Inv. VIC / 13756
Portrait of a woman in an unidentified location | Before 1906
16.4 x 12 cm | Simple positive | Silver salt gelatin
MFM-AV, Inv. RMG / 8
10.7 x 8.1 cm | Simple negative, glass | Silver salt gelatin
MFM-AV, Inv. RMG / 367