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'On Commission' Exhibition

Photograph of a delivery van owned by W & R Jacob & Co. Ltd, Biscuit Manufacturers. The driver is sitting in the front and to the right of the picture is a stack of Jacob & Co. Cream Crackers with a worker standing behind them. This was one of a series taken at the Jacob's Biscuit Factory.
Photograph of a delivery van owned by W & R Jacob & Co. Ltd, Biscuit Manufacturers. The driver is sitting in the front and to the right of the picture is a stack of Jacob & Co. Cream Crackers with a worker standing behind them. This was one of a series taken at the Jacob's Biscuit Factory. | © Edward Chambré Hardman Collection

Delve into Edward Hardman's work away from his studio in the On Commission exhibition, which focuses on his commercial photography in Liverpool, Lancashire, Wales and further afield.

Outside of the everyday portraiture and studio work that formed the foundation of the Hardmans' business, Edward Chambré Hardman would often roam further afield to carry out commissioned, commercial photography. Our new exhibition, On Commission, which can be seen during a Hardmans' House tour, profiles this commercial work for industry, schools and businesses and showcases a different aspect of Hardman's work.

While Edward Chambré Hardman undertook these external commissions, Margaret Hardman ran the studio. His work often took him away from home for several days, beyond the confines of Liverpool, to the wider North–West region, Yorkshire, or Wales. Clients were diverse, Chambré could find himself in wildly varied locations and environments. His work provides a fascinating glimpse into these different worlds, from factory floor to private boarding school.

Join us on a Hardmans' House tour to find out more about this important element of the business and to view some of the most eye-catching of Hardman's commercial prints.

Studio and equipment, the Hardmans House, Liverpool

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