W. Graham Vivian (British, 1827–1912)

b. 1827 — d. 1912

W. Graham Vivian British, b. Wales, 1827-1912 William Graham Vivian, born at Singleton Abbey into an important Swansea family involved in the metals industry, was an amateur photographer active from the 1850s to 1871. His work consists largely of portraiture and of topographic views of England, Wales, and Scotland. The aristocratic Vivians were key figures in the life of Swansea. William was reportedly a shrewd investor and the business strategist of the family. His brother, Henry Hussey Vivian, was a public figure whose guests at the family home, Singleton Abbey, included William Gladstone and the Prince and Princess of Wales. A member of the Photographic Exchange Club, Vivian supplied prints to the club's album in 1855. In 1860 he bought Woodland Castle and made it his home, renaming it Clyne Castle. T.W.F.