Best in Show! White Bull Terrier, Mullingar, ca. 1860

This early carte-de-visite shows a white Bull Terrier. Its ears are cropped, a practice which became illegal in Britain and Ireland from the 1880s. Bull and Staffordshire terriers are now distinct breeds, however, they were both known as Bull Terriers in the 1860s. Interestingly, the man credited with refining these breeds was Mullingar-born, James Hinks. Perhaps, he was on a return visit to his native town and brought along one of his prize-winning white terriers? Or it might just be a coincidence? I’ve been in touch with fellow librarians in The Kennel Club and they hope to explore the connection.

The photograph is very stark with none of the usual backdrops and accessories that we associate with Victorian portrait studios. However, this is an early image and the owner was probably keen to show off the dog’s features. You can just about make out the variegations of the fabric upon which the dog sits.

The studio is named as Wallis, Mullingar. This is most surely owned by the printer and later newspaper owner, Sampson Wallis (1836-1903), a Wexford man who is listed in Pigot’s Directory of 1870 as a stationer, bookseller and printer. He lived on Earl Street, Mullingar and was the owner and editor of the Westmeath Guardian for over a quarter of century from 1874. He was also listed as a local agent for the scheme offering ‘Free and Assisted Emigration to Queensland, Australia.’

The style of card, thin paper stock and brown tones of the albumen print lead me to believe that this image dates from between 1860 and 1870, most likely in the middle of this period.

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‘Milly Bloom’, Apprentice Photographer, Mullingar, 1904

In my mind’s eye, I like to think that Leopold Bloom’s daughter, Milly, looked a little like this young girl who was photographed by Chancellor’s of Dublin. In Ulysses, fifteen year-old Milly is portrayed as a lively and headstrong girl who was sent from Dublin to the midlands town of Mullingar to serve her time as an apprentice photographer. She reports her progress to her father in a letter stating that she is ‘getting on swimming in the photo business now.’ Bloom appeared to think that her aptitude for photography might be hereditary citing a cousin in Hungary who ran a successful photographic studio.

The career of photographer was probably a good choice for a sociable young girl. The other duller option, which is mentioned in the novel, was to send her to a Skerry’s secretarial college to learn shorthand and typing. However, Bloom also hints that Milly was sent to Mullingar to keep her occupied and out of harm’s way. 

So what was the the probability of a young girl being apprenticed to a photographer in early 20th century Ireland?  The 1901 census reveals that 110 of the 485 photographers in Ireland were women. Of these, 91 were single women and 74% of the total were under the age of 31.

James Joyce was familiar with the town of Mullingar having spent a period there in 1900 and 1901 (see Leo Daly, James Joyce and the Mullingar Connection, Dolmen Press, 1975) . During this time there were several photographic studios operating in the town, the largest and best known was that of Philip Shaw. In the 1901 census, his 17 year-old niece Ethel was his apprentice. Could this studio and Ethel have been Joyce’s inspiration? 

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