Mann Brothers

active as a photographers in Brighton between 1900 and 1903

Stanley Mann  (born 1871, Kennington, Lambeth, London, Surrey)

 active as a photographer in Brighton between 1891 and 1924

Sidney Herbert Mann  (born 1873, Kennington, Lambeth, London, Surrey)

 active as a photographer in Brighton between 1891 and 1903

[ABOVE] Photographic Studios in Brighton associated with Stanley Mann and Sidney Herbert Mann

Samuel and Eliza Mann lived in South London for the first twenty years of their marriage. For the first half dozen years or so, the Manns lived in Southwark, but by 1867 the family had settled in Lambeth, Surrey. By the end of 1875, Eliza Mann had given birth to at least nine children. Stanley Mann, the couple's sixth child, was born in the Kennington area of Lambeth in 1871 [ birth registered in Lambeth during the Second Quarter of 1871 ]. Stanley's younger brother, Sidney Herbert Mann was born in Lambeth, Surrey in 1873 [ birth registered during the Third Quarter of 1873 ].

When the 1881 census was taken, the Mann family were living at 295 Wandsworth Road, Lambeth, Surrey. Samuel Mann is described in the census return as a "Town Traveller", aged 47 [ In the 1878 Post Office Directory of Surrey, Samuel Mann is listed as a "commercial traveller" at 295 Wandsworth Road, S.W. London ]. In 1881, Samuel and Eliza Mann's three eldest sons were in employment - twenty-one year old Samuel Edward Mann (born 1859, Southwark, London) was working as a "Banker's Clerk" , while his two younger brothers William James Mann (born c1861, Southwark) and Charles P. Mann (born c1865, Southwark) both give their occupation as "Accountant's Clerk". The remaining six children - Annie Mann (born 1865, Southwark), Laura Mann (born 1867, Lambeth), Stanley Mann, aged 10, Bessie Mann (born c1869, Lambeth), Sidney Herbert Mann, aged 7, and Frederick Oswald Mann (born 1875, Kennington, Surrey) were all attending school. During this period, Mrs Eliza Mann's brother, Oswald Hartley (born c1852, Yeovil, Somerset), a dealer in paintings and fine art, was staying with the Mann family. Stanley and Sidney were the only boys in the family who did not become clerical workers in banking or accountancy, and so these two brothers might have come under the influence of their artistic uncle.

At the time of the 1891 census, nineteen year old Stanley Mann and his brother Sidney Mann, aged 17, were working as photographers and living in Hove, Sussex with their father Samuel Mann. Stanley Mann is entered on the census return as a "Photographer (neither employed or employer)" and his brother Sidney Mann is listed as a "Photographer (employed)". Both brothers give their place of birth as "Borough, S.E. London". Their fifty-seven year old father, Samuel Mann, who was still working as a "Traveller", states on the census return that he was born in Brixton, South London.

[ABOVE] Portrait of a woman in a hat. A carte-de-visite photograph by Stanley Mann of 27 York Place, Brighton. (c1900).

[ABOVE] The reverse of a carte-de-visite produced by Stanley Mann of 27 York Place, Brighton. (c1900)

In 1899 at Weymouth, Dorset, Sidney Herbert Mann married Eva Eugenie Bridle (born 1879, Dudley, Worcestershire), the daughter of Mary and Alfred Bridle, a railway guard.

By 1900, a photographic studio had been established at 24 St George's Road, Brighton under the name of "Mann Brothers". At this date, Stanley Mann had his own photographic studio at 27 York Place, Brighton, opposite Brighton's St. Peter's Church. When the 1901 census was taken, Stanley and Constance Mann and their two year old daughter Katherine M. Mann (born c1899, Brighton) were living at the studio premises at 27 York Place. In the 1901 census return, twenty-nine year old Stanley Mann is described as a "Photographer (Employer)" working at home.

It is not clear whether Stanley Mann was associated with the firm of Mann Brothers at 24 St George's Road. Sidney Herbert Mann was definitely based at 24 St George's Road, Brighton and when the firm of Mann Brothers came to an end around 1903, he continued there as a photographer for a brief time under his own name. It is possible that Sidney's older brothers had financed the photography business and that he actually ran the studio in St George's Road on their behalf.

By 1904, Stanley Mann had opened a second studio in Brighton. Stanley Mann had acquired the studio of C. H. Boswell at 9 North Street Quadrant, Brighton. By this date, Sidney Mann had sold his studio at 24 St George's Road, Brighton to the firm of Pannell & Holden. Sidney Mann might have managed his older brother's studio at 9 North Street Quadrant, while Stanley Mann continued at 27 York Place, where he had his home. By 1905, the studio at 9 North Street Quadrant, had passed to the photographer E. W. Simmons. From this date, Sidney Mann is not recorded as a studio proprietor in Brighton so he might have left the town or went to work for his brother Stanley at the York Place Studio.

[ABOVE] Vignette portrait of a lad. A carte-de-visite photograph by Stanley Mann of 27 York Place, Brighton. (c1905)

[ABOVE] Vignette portrait of  a boy. A carte-de-visite photograph by Stanley Mann of 27 York Place, Brighton. (c1905)

[ABOVE] Vignette portrait of a young woman wearing eye-glasses. A midget portrait taken by Stanley Mann of 27 York Place, Brighton. (c1900)

[LEFT] A family group portrait. A cabinet format photograph by Stanley Mann of 27 York Place, Brighton. (c1900)

[ABOVE] Vignette portrait of a young woman. A carte-de-visite photograph by Sidney Herbert Mann, 24 St George's Road, Brighton. (c1903)

[ABOVE] A studio portrait of a young woman. A postcard format photograph taken by Stanley Mann of 27 York Place, Brighton. (c1918)

Stanley Mann was not confined to his York Place studio. On 17th June 1916, Stanley took his camera to Preston Park, situated on the outskirts of Brighton, to record the teams taking part in "The Allies and Canadians' Athletic Sports" competition. Among the photographs he took that day was a group portrait showing Inspector George Bridle and his victorious "Tug-of-War" team representing the Brighton Borough Police Force. Stanley Mann appears to have been used regularly as a photographer by the Brighton Police. When Superintendent James Rampton retired from the Brighton Police Force on 31st August 1919, Stanley Mann was commissioned to take a large group photograph of the members of  Brighton Constabulary's "C Division", which was later presented to Superintendent Rampton as a retirement gift.

[ABOVE] A portrait of a young woman. A photograph by Stanley Mann of 27 York Place, Brighton. (c1920)