719
Seiberling, Grace, and Blore, Carolyn, Amateurs: Photography
and the Mid-Victorian Imagination, Chicago and London:
1986.
HUEBL, ARTHUR FREIHERR VON
(1853–1932)
Photographer and inventor
Arthur Freiherr von (Baron of) Huebl was born on Mar.
20, 1853, in Grosswardein (Nagyvárad, today Oradea,
Romania), received higher military training between
1877 and 1879, and studied chemistry in Vienna from
1879 to 1882, fi nishing with a doctorate. From 1884 to
1918, he worked at the Institute of Military Geography
at Vienna, from 1916 to 1918 as its commander general.
Starting with a joint publication on the platinotype with
Giuseppe Pizzighelli in 1882, Huebl produced a long
line of technical books and articles on many subjects
in photography, ranging from reproduction techniques
over printing methods to his most prominent fi eld, colour
photography. His book on theory and practice of colour
photography, fi rst published in 1908, saw six issues until
1933 remaining the most comprehensive volume in the
fi eld up to this time.
In 1887, A.v.H. helped to found the fi rst Club of
Amateur Photographers in Vienna which was the
nucleus of the fine art photography movement in
Austria. In 1894, Huebl developed a panoramic cam-
era, in 1898 he invented a photographic theodolite.
From 1920 to 1924, Huebl installed and presided the
Institute of Military Geography in Rio de Janeiro;
after his return to Vienna he had his own laboratory at
the Cartographic Institute. Arthur von Huebl died in
Vienna on April 7, 1932.
Rolf Sachsse
HUGHES, CORNELIUS JABEZ
(1819–1884)
British photographer, writer, and lecturer
As a young man, Hughes developed an interest in de-
bating societies and similar associations. As a lecturer
and teacher on memory (“phrenology and subjects
cognate thereto” according to the Photographic Times
and American Photographer) he met John Jabez Edwin
Mayall, then working in the Strand as a daguerreo-
typist, whose secretary he became. In 1849, Hughes
established himself as a daguerreotypist in Glasgow. In
1855 he returned to London as a photographer in the
Strand, but as this venture not successful, in 1859 he
opened a warehouse in Oxford Street. Being a dealer
proved uncongenial, so he sought a new opening as a
photographer. This presented itself towards the end of
1861, when the Ryde photographer W.G. Lacy died in
his Oxford Street sitting room, and Hughes subsequently
purchased that business, being succeeded in London by
his friend and previous manager, John Werge. He rebuilt
the studio and reception rooms in the Arcade at Ryde,
later transferring to the purpose-built Regina House in
Union Street nearby. His proximity to Osborne and high-
class productions secured the patronage of the Queen,
for whom he executed a large amount of work. Ever an
innovator, he adopted the carbon process to the almost
entire exclusion of silver printing.
The death of his only son, who had assisted in Ryde,
was a great blow. Alfred Wright Hughes (married with
three children) died in London on 1 February 1878. This
was reported in two Ryde newspapers and attributed
to apoplexy, but that was not the whole story. A death
certifi cate reveals he had died in St. James’s Park, the
cause being “Prussic acid. Suicide when insane a few
minutes.” An inquest was held before the Westminster
coroner, though this was not reported in the London
press, and went unnoticed in the photographic journals.
However, documents concerning the inquest, at which
both Jabez Hughes and John Werge gave evidence,
are preserved in Westminster Abbey. Although Werge
knew all about Alfred’s suicide, it is never mentioned
in his book The Evolution of Photography, neither does
it feature in any Hughes obituary, so was certainly not
common knowledge at the time.
Jabez Hughes never abandoned London, retaining
his connection with various photographic societies. He
was elected a member of the Photographic Society of
London in 1858. He served on the committee of the
North London Photographic Association, was also a
vice-president of the South London Photographic Soci-
ety, and, though not an offi cer of the Photographic Club,
presided at its inaugural meeting. He was, in addition,
one of the oldest members of the Solar Club.
An obituary in Ryde’s Isle of Wight Observer noted
that as a townsman Hughes was much liked and uni-
versally respected, though he refused to have anything
to do with local politics. He was a prominent member
of the Philosophical Society, and frequently lectured
upon scientifi c topics with a fl uency and ease which
showed how deeply he had studied and how greatly
he delighted in such researches. He also presided over
the Ryde Literary Society for several years. Hughes
frequently attended social gatherings, and had a turn
for verse making, occasionally delighting friends with
a topical song to some well-known tune.
In the 1860s he played an important part in raising
and administering a fund to support John Frederick
Goddard. When the latter’s reduced circumstances were
brought to his attention, Hughes with characteristic en-
ergy and generosity at once proposed a general appeal,
issuing upwards of two thousand circulars, and many
hundreds of personally written letters to photographers