Collection BA/006 - The Albert Smith Photographic Studio

In 1892 Albert Smith opened a photographic studio in Saint Helier. Jersey was an attractive and potentially lucrative market for commercial photographers in the late 19th century. Having started his career and practice in Merseyside, Albert purchased the studio of John Stroud who had himself purchased the studio of the well known and highly regarded studio E. Baudoux & Son Ltd only five years earlier.

From his premises at 59 New Street, Albert Smith founded a studio that would grow to dominate Jersey's commercial market for several decades. His operations expanded with outlets in Bath Street, Beresford Street, and Broad Street.

Albert Smith died in 1914, his son David Smith continued to operate the business under the name Albert Smith Ltd.

It is unclear if the business was operating and if so in what format between 1931 and 1940.

Albert Edmund Smith, born on 12 August 1856 in Hornsey, England, was one of Jersey’s most celebrated commercial photographers, recognised for the quality of his work and his extensive contributions to documentary record of the Island. Though known for his photography, Albert’s career began far removed from the camera lens. He initially followed in the footsteps of his grandfather, father, and brothers as a stockbroker in London, becoming a member of the London Stock Exchange in 1876. Albert married Josephine Elizabeth Coutts in 1879, and the couple’s early life revolved around his stockbroking career, living in Weybridge, Surrey, before moving to Scotland and later Lancashire. However, by the late 1880s, Albert began to shift his focus to photography, and a commercial practice that would come to define his legacy in Jersey. In the 1891 census he is recorded as a "Photographic artist" living in Waterloo, Merseyside.

In 1892, Albert relocated to St Helier, Jersey, with his family, purchasing the studio of established photographer Ernest Baudoux. Albert and his wife Josephine had seven children. His son, David Edmund Smith, took over his business following Albert’s death from heart disease on 22 April 1914 . Albert was buried at Almorah Cemetery. Josephine, an artist in her own right, contributed to the island’s cultural life, exhibiting her paintings locally. She left Jersey in 1926 and passed away in Southampton in 1937.