Benjamin Brecknell Turner 1815 - 1894

occupation:
Photographer
Nationality:
British
born in:
London, Greater London, England, United Kingdom

In adulthood Turner ran the family company of Brecknell, Turner Limited (makers of candles and soap). However during the 1850s he took up amateur photography, focussing on using Talbot's calotype process. He would focus primarily on using this process throughout his career. Many of his later paper negatives were far larger in size than the norm. He exhibited regularly including at the Universal Exhibition in Paris in 1855. Some of his negatives were altered with pencilled details and inked areas. Many of Turner's landscape photographs were taken around Bredicot village in Worcestershire. Although after 1855 Turner began making portraits from his family home in Haymarket. Turner was to become a founder member of the Photographic Society of London. He became vice-president of the Society and later secretary and honorary secretary of its Photographic Club.