Sarah Ann Harrison

Sarah Ann Harrison (1837–?) is the earliest documented female photographer in Malta. She was born in Plymouth in 1837 to Abraham and Sarah Roberts.[1] On August 9, 1864, she married George Harrison, from Stenigot, Lincolnshire in Valletta, Malta.[2] Between 1864 and 1871, Sarah Ann operated in her name from 74, Strada della Marina, Isola (Senglea), Malta.[3] A Carte de visite original discovered by Giovanni Bonello (and now in the national Malta carte collection) confirms her operating as an independent photographer in Senglea, Malta at that time.[4] Sarah Ann Harrison is considered to be the first woman running her own photo studio in Malta.[4] In the 1871 UK census she is listed as a photographer operating in Boston, Lincolnshire.[5]

  1. ^ General Register Office: 1841 Census Returns. The National Archives, Kew: General Register Office, 1836-1970. 1841. p. 29. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
  2. ^ Act of Marriage. Valletta, Malta: Public Registry Office. 1864.
  3. ^ Tonna, Caroline (2018). "Women and early photography in Malta: Adelaide Conroy and Lucrezia Preziosi". In Abela, Joan; Buttigieg, Emanuel; Attard, Alex (eds.). Parallel Existences. Malta: Kite Publishing. pp. 259–271. ISBN 9789995750565.
  4. ^ a b Bonello, Giovanni. "More notes for a history of photography in Malta". Times of Malta. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
  5. ^ General Register Office: 1871 Census Returns. The National Archives, Kew: General Register Office, 1836-1970. 1871. p. 27. Retrieved 25 March 2019.