Joseph Blackburne

Joseph Blackburne was born in Leeds in about 1818. As an itinerant artist, creating profiles and miniature paintings he travelled across the north of England. He was also a well known phrenologist. He settled in Manchester in about 1850. An advert in the Scarborough Gazette sees him set up a “phrenological and likeness gallery” in Museum Terrace in Scarborough in July 1852. The following year visited Southport where he was taking photographic portraits before returning to Manchester. He practiced photography until at least 1861. He returned to Scarborough in the 1870s establishing himself as Professor of Phrenology at 22 Newborough.

He married Ann and they had a son who was a chess master, Joseph Henry Blackburne (1841-1924). It is recorded that Joseph Junior was helping his father in the photographic business in 1860.