James Anderson (British, 1813–1877)

b. 1813 — d. 1877

James Anderson (Isaac Atkinson) England, 1813-1877, active in Rome Born in Cumberland, England, Issac Atkinson developed an early interest in art, taking up painting and watercolor before moving to Paris for further study. In 1838 he settled in Rome, where he established a business making small bronzes and sculptures under the name James Anderson. His imitations of antique works were much in demand as souvenirs for travelers making the grand tour of the Continent. In 1849 Anderson began working in photography and opened a studio in 1853. Focusing on architecture and art, he specialized in images of interest to the public, especially tourists. Anderson's background in art and his skill in photography soon established him as a leader in this competitive field. He published his first catalog in 1859. At his death in 1877, he left a prosperous studio whose thousands of negatives were reprinted and sold by his Italian wife, their sons, and their descendants until well after World War II. Although Anderson's work was commercial in origin, its quality was indisputably high. His love of Rome, its culture, and its art was apparent both in his life and his photographs. T.W.F.