Person    | Male  Born 4/10/1832  Died 7/12/1911

William Griggs

Categories: Photography

Photographer. Born at Woburn, where his father was a gate-keeper to the Duke of Bedford. At the age of 18 he came to London, and was employed in the Indian Court of the Great Exhibition of 1851. His interests in photography and lithography were encouraged by Dr John Forbes Watson, and he invented a photolithographic process, which greatly reduced the cost of copying colour works. He reproduced some of Prince Albert's drawings for Queen Victoria, and was thereafter given the glorious title of 'Chromolithographer to the Queen'. Died at Jaipur, Madeira Avenue, Worthing. Ironically we can't find a photograph of him, so our picture is one of the plates he produced for George Frederic Warner's Illuminated Manuscripts in the British Museum.

Credit for this entry to: Alan Patient of www.plaquesoflondon.co.uk

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
William Griggs

Commemorated ati

William Griggs

Pioneer photo lithographer, William Griggs, 1832 - 1911, lived and worked her...

Read More

Other Subjects

Sir Ambrose Fleming

Sir Ambrose Fleming

Electrical engineer. Born John Ambrose Fleming in a house named Greenfield in Lancaster. Best known for inventing the first thermionic valve or vacuum tube. He was also an accomplished photographer...

Person, Art, Engineering, Photography

1 memorial
Bert Hardy

Bert Hardy

Documentary and press photographer known for his work published in 'Picture Post' 1941-57. Born and grew up in Priory Buildings.   Photo Histories says Bert was "the first of seven children to carp...

Person, Journalism / Publishing, Photography

1 memorial
Sir Cecil Beaton

Sir Cecil Beaton

Photographer, painter, interior designer and designer for stage and screen. Born 21 Langland Gardens, Hampstead. Excelling in a number of art forms he had equally catholic tastes in his affairs, wi...

Person, Cinema, Craft / Design, Photography, Seriously Famous, Theatre

3 memorials
Oliver Gregory Pike

Oliver Gregory Pike

Naturalist and photographer. Born in Enfield. He produced over fifty wildlife films. Our photograph shows him with badgers which he domesticated.

Person, Photography

1 memorial
Norah Lyle-Smyth, Norah Smyth

Norah Lyle-Smyth, Norah Smyth

Painter, sculptor, photographer and suffragette. Born Norah Veronica Lyle-Smyth in Cheshire. She was befriended by Sylvia Pankhurst and accompanied her on a speaking tour around Europe. She finance...

Person, Art, Gender Issues, Photography, Politics & Administration, Sculpture, Ireland

2 memorials