Jessie Mann

Jessie Mann

Photography

Name: Janet “Jessie” Mann D.O.B: 1805 D.O.D: 1867 studio assistant of Hill and Adamson

history

1805

fal2@st-andrews.ac.uk

Organisation

246

Janet Mann

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jessie_Mann

TEXT

Q24058704

Family origins: From Perth Father: Alexander Mann, housepainter Mother: Sarah Laidley 4 sisters (Elizabeth, Margaret,?), 1 brother (Alexander) Education: N/A Profession: Photographer Studio assistant of Hill and Adamson Talents etc.: Photography Private life/family life: Never married Lived with unmarried sisters and for some time with unmarried brother (until he married) (Professional) Role in St Andrews: Associated with St Andrews via Adamson Years in St Andrews: Actually worked in Edinburgh, Rock House

Involved in which fields of scholarship? (e.g. geology, philosophy and medicine) Photography Most famous contribution(s) to scholarship 1 (i.e. in photography): Helped Hill and Adamson: only with her help, they could create so many photographs Images of completion of Ballochmyle railway viaduct in Ayrshire: completed after death of Adamson -> by Mann? Most famous contribution(s) to scholarship 2: N/A If you want to read one thing written by him/her, it should be: X N/A Any political involvement? N/A Any religious involvement? Supporter of Free Church -> Disruption Other societies/groups in St Andrews? No Other societies/groups elsewhere? N/A Associated places in St Andrews: (e.g. home, lab, favourite spot) House of Adamson, places associated with Brewster (United College etc.) Possible human interest story 1: Hill and Adamson are regarded as pioneers of early photography, but their creation of thousands of calotypes would not have been possible without the help of Jessie Mann Possible human interest story 2: Helped Hill and Adamson to realise photographs of people present at Great Disruption of the Church of Scotland in Edinburgh -> Hill created painting with 3 Mann sisters: one of them may be Jessie! -> 3 Mann sisters present at Disruption Possible human interest story 3: A letter from the painter James Naysmith to Hill, written in 1845, asks about the health of Miss Mann, “that most skillful and zealous of assistants”. In March 1847 Nasmyth asks, “How goes on the divine solar art? And how does that worthy artist Mr Adamson the authentic contriver & manipulator of light and darkness? And thrice worthy Miss Mann the most skilful and zealous of assistants.” Possible human interest story 4: Probably only one full-length picture of her -> recently discovered in photographic collections of the University of Glasgow; no official images! Possible human interest story 5: Probably, Jessie Mann stained her hand with silver nitrate (black stains: therefore, photography called “black art”), which was essential for photographic processes at the time -> portrait with gloved right hand! Possible human interest story 6: Quote by famous art historian Simpson: "She probably did a lot of printing and processing. She was obviously quite sophisticated and educated - she was definitely an associate, not a servant. Possible human interest story 7: Adamson's death: studio closed -> school housekeeper for Andrew Balfour (private grammar school in Musselburgh) Possible human interest story 8: 1844: king of Saxony visited Hill and Adamson, but they were not at home: Thus, Mann took a picture of him with his party => probably the first photograph taken by a woman in the world!  Must have been sophisticated and educated, as she knew how to handle a camera Possible human interest story 9: Grew up as near neighbour of Hill in Perth Possible human interest story 10: Close relationship in studio: letter -> Scottish photography: The First 30 Years, p.98 Connected to other people in St Andrews or elsewhere?: Sir David Brewster Dr John Adamson Robert Adamson Hugh Lyons Fairplay Thomas Rodger James David Forbes Etc. Awards/Honours: No -> long forgotten Numbers: N/A Other interesting/quirky facts (not necessarily related to subject areas): N/A

1867

Any eye-witness testimony/stories: N/A Biographical sources: (e.g. OxDNB, family memoir, other...) https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/13028501.scottish-woman-who-was-a-camera-pioneer/ https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/14431735.is-this-the-mysterious-scottish-#woman-who-helped-pioneer-photography/ http://www.secretscotland.org.uk/index.php/Secrets/JessieMann Roddy Simpson: The Photography of Victorian Scotland, chapter “David Octavius Hill and Robert Adamson” John Hannavy, ed.: “Encyclopedia of nineteenth-century photography” (entry on Mann by Simpson) https://roseteanbyphotography.co.uk/early-women-photographers/scottish-women-photographers/jessie-mann-1805-1867/#_edn6 Stevenson and Morrison-Low, Scottish photography: The First 30 Years, p.98 Available images of the person: Hill: disruption painting Wikipedia https://roseteanbyphotography.co.uk/early-women-photographers/scottish-women-photographers/jessie-mann-1805-1867/#_edn6 Available images of places/objects associated with the person: N/A