Marcus Guttenberg (c.1828-1891)

Guttenberg was the son of a school teacher also called Marcus and was born in Poland. He started his photographic career as a daguerreotypist in Hungary, Pussia and Poland, he may also have worked in Berlin. It is thought that he arrived in England at around 1852 when he is recorded at a studio in Derby. He seems to have only stayed in each town he set up business in for a short time, may be initially because he did not have a patent licence from Beard to produce Daguerreotypes. He is connected with Scarborough from 1858 until at least 1862, but only seems to spend a few months in the town each year, traveling to other towns in Yorkshire and surrounding counties, presumably when things were quiet. In 1866 he settled in Bristol where he was to remain until 1880 when he moved to Manchester where he died 11 years later.

He was married twice, firstly to Elizabeth Pheasant of Snaith, Yorkshire in 1853 and later to Henrietta Pflaum. He was followed into the photography business by several of his children. One of them Alexander Percy Guttenberg managed the Manchester Studio.

Portrait of an unknown man in the photographic studio of Marcus Guttenberg, Scarborough
Back of carte de visite by Marcus Guttenberg, photographic artist of Scarborough
Detail of back of carte de visite by Marcus Guttenberg of Scarborough

Portrait of an unknown man

Carte de Visite, 1862-1862

Portrait of an unknown man, carte de visite by Marcus Guttenberg, Scarborough
Back of a carte de visite portrait by Marcus Guttenberg of Scarborough

Portrait of an unknown man,

Carte de Visite, 1858-1862

Photographic Practice

  • Daguerreotypes, calotype (or Talbotype) and later wet and dry collodion

  • Portraiture

  • miniatures on paper or ivory

  • Patents - photo-mechanical printing, 1878 (no. 1502) and photo-finishing, 1890 (No. 10,145).

Studios

Worked in Hungary, Prussia, Poland and Germany before arriving in Britain - <1851

19 London Road, Derby - 1852

Chapel Street, Harrogate - 1854

Near the Railway Station, Malton, North Riding - 1855

Market Place and Promenade, Bridlington - July 1856

Promenade, Bridlington - July 1856

opposite Field House, Whitby - 1857, 1859 and 1860

9 St Nicholas Street and Westborough, Scarborough - July 1858

opposite the Royal Hotel, Filey - August 1858

Falsgrave Walk and 7 St John Street (residence), Scarborough - 1861

at Mr Consitt’s Photographic Gallery, Skinner Street, Whitby - July to September 1861, once a week, Thursday

Westborough, Scarborough - 1862

Bridge Road, Stockton on Tees - 1867

Darlington and Stockton (on Tees) - 1867?

27 Triangle, Clifton, Bristol - c.1866

29 Triangle, Clifton, Bristol - 1868 (continued trading under M. Guttenberg after 1870 but operated by Robert Easton)

17 Royal Promenade, Clifton Bristol - 1870-1878

361 Oxford Street, Chorlton on Medlock, Manchester - 1878-1884

Kensington House, 316 Oxford Street and Central Chambers, 26 Victoria Street, Manchester - 1884-1890

131 Oxford Street, Manchester - 1889-1891

323 Oxford Road, Manchester - 1891-1895 (after his death in 1891 managed by his son Alexander Percy)

References

Adamson, K.I.P., 1996, p5

Bayliss, A. and P., 1998, p52

Cossens, R., CartedeVisite.co.uk - Marcus Guttenberg

Heathcote, B and P, 2002, p80

Wilcock, R., 2011, p15