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Our story so far

Founded in Oxfordshire in 1852

OUR HISTORY COINCIDES WITH A PERIOD OF IMMENSE CHANGE IN THE WORLD, ONE OF THE LEADING VICTORIAN PHOTOGRAPHIC FIRMS, OUR CLIENT BOOK SOON EXPANDED TO INCLUDE SANDHURST, HARROW, ETON, LONDON AND CAMBRIDGE.

WITH A FOCUS ON UNIVERSITIES AND SCHOOLS, THE MILITARY AND THE ROYAL FAMILY, HILLS & SAUNDERS PHOTOGRAPHED INSTITUTIONS WHOSE FATES WERE INTERTWINED WITH THE PASSAGE OF THE 20TH CENTURY, RESULTING IN SOME FASCINATING HISTORICAL DOCUMENTS.

WE HAVE CAPTURED SOME INCREDIBLE IMAGES THAT ARE OF HISTORICAL IMPORTANCE IN THEIR OWN RIGHT, MANY OF OUR PHOTOGRAPHS ARE IN THE ROYAL COLLECTION, THE NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY, THE BRITISH MUSEUM, THE V&A AND EVEN AS FAR AFIELD AS THE GETTY MUSEUM AND MOMA. LIKE TRUE ZELIGS, WE ARE IN THE BACKGROUND OF HISTORY AND SEEM TO POP UP IN THE MOST UNEXPECTED OF PLACES, NEXT TIME YOU’RE IN ANY OF THESE GALLERIES LOOK OUT FOR OUR NAME.

A century long engagement

Contemporaries, rivals, partners....

HILLS & SAUNDERS AND GILLMAN & SOAME HAVE WORKED THE SAME LOCATIONS, CLIENTELE AND TIMELINE SINCE THEIR INCEPTIONS JUST FOUR YEARS APART IN 1852 AND 1856 RESPECTIVELY. WE HAVE SHARED THE SAME UNCOMPROMISING VISION AND EMPHASIS ON QUALITY.

THESE OXFORD BASED TRAILBLAZERS NEVER FORMALLY CAME TOGETHER UNTIL 2019 WHEN GILLMAN & SOAME FINALLY TIED THE KNOT WITH HILLS & SAUNDERS, UNITING CENTURIES WORTH OF PHOTOS AND RICH HISTORIES. YOU COULD SAY WE COMPLETE EACH OTHER.

DISCOVER OUR SISTER SITE USING THE LINK BELOW

WWW.GILLMANANDSOAME.CO.UK

Lost and found

MORE THAN AN ARCHIVE….

IT’S A LABOUR OF LOVE.

HARROW . ETON . OXFORD . CAMBRIDGE . AND MORE

THOUSANDS OF FORGOTTEN IMAGES RESTORED AND ARCHIVED AND THOUSANDS MORE TO GO…

Highlights from the archive

HILLS & SAUNDERS
ARE PROUD TO PRESENT

A SMALL SELECTION OF IMAGES INTRODUCING THE REMARKABLE BODY OF WORK PRODUCED BY THEIR PHOTOGRAPHERS

A RARE GLIMPSE INTO A PHOTOGRAPHIC TREASURE TROVE DATING BACK TO 1852.

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