George Frederick Cooper SPELLS (1872-1951)

George Frederick Cooper Spells, born in Fulham in 1872, the son of a baker, was an entrepreneurial photographer who ran a series of stickyback studios in the South of England. In 1900 in Ireland he married a Tipperary girl, Susan Eyre, and they went on to raise a family of seven sons. George's occupation on their marriage certificate was shown as "shop manager" and his address as 26 Tontine Street, Folkestone. According to the census, George was living at 102 Linden Crescent, Folkestone, in 1901, and was employed as the manager of a fancy bazaar. Places of birth of George and Susan's children suggest the family moved around a lot in the ensuing years. Their first son, John, was born in Folkestone in 1904. Their second son, Reginald, was born in Dover in 1907. Sons Aubrey and Cecil were born in Brighton in 1908 and 1911.

The earliest trace found of George working within the photographic industry is in the 1911 Census. In April that year, George, wife Susan and four sons, were living at 66 Eastern Road Brighton. His occupation was shown as a "canvasser photographic", a worker employed by someone else. This would have been some sort of sales role, probably involving cold calling house to house offering photographic services or printing of enlargements. By 1 October 1911, at the double baptism of two of his sons, George, still living at 66 Eastern Road Brighton, recorded his occupation as a photographer.

George's descendants have identified the postcard below as a portrait of George Frederick Cooper Spells. This was taken at the Sticky Back and Modern Studios 54 North Street Brighton around 1911 when the studio was operated by Spiridione Grossi. Grossi was the photographer who coined the name “stickyback”. Whether George was a customer or employee there, that contact may have sparked his interest in the stickyback format as its popularity was rising.

Postcard format portrait believed to be of George Frederick Cooper Sells
taken around 1911 at the Sticky Back and Modern Studios 54 North Street Brighton

From 1911 to the 1920s George operated a series of stickyback studios. He gives a brief overview of this in an autobiographical letter, dated February 1939, in possession of his descendants. George reflected:

"Of course it has been a big struggle at times with such a big family to bring up, especially as we have lived in so many towns and had several shops in the photographic line. I had a big rush at Chichester with the police outside regulating the traffic. Have taken 2400 sitters there in one week. Also did very well at Petersfield, then went on to the Isle of Wight, Newport, Cowes, Ryde, Shanklin and back to Petersfield. It then finished up as people began to buy their own cameras. It was good fun while the boom lasted. One week at Petersfield I made £21 pre war money with 10/- week rent, but half of this went to my partner for printing the photos. He was well satisfied."

In 1921 George was a photographer working on his own account but with no fixed place of work. He may at that point have been between locations for a stickyback shop, or have moved to a different aspect of photography. The family was living at 21 Westhampnett Road, Chichester. According to the local press, this property had only changed hands early in 1921 so George and family had probably been at this address for a few months when the census was taken on 19 June 1921. (Chichester Observer - 22 December 1920 p8). With George were his wife Susan, and seven sons:

• John E Spells, age 16, b. 1904 Folkestone, a grocer’s boy working for International Stores East St Chichester.
• Reginald A Spells, age 14, b. 1907 Dover, surgery boy employed by Dr Ewatt North St Chichester.
• Aubrey V Spells, age 12, b. 1908 Brighton.
• Cecil R Spells, age 9, b. 1911 Brighton.
• Frederick C Spells, age 7, b. 1913 Newport, IOW.
• Ronald L Spells, age 6, b. 1915 Newport, IOW.
• Eric G Spells, age 4, b. 1917 Newport IOW.

From later electoral registers George was later living at the following addresses:

1925/26: 9 Tichborne Street Brighton
1928: 18 Somerset Street Brighton

By the 1930s George and other members of the family had moved into the fruiterer and green-grocery business. In 1930 the firm of Reginald Spells, Fruiterer and Green-grocer, was advertising in the local press from an address at 19 Portland Road Worthing (Worthing Gazette 26 November 1930 p8). By 1931 the family was based at 17 Chatham Place Brighton (marriage certificate of son John Edward Spells). In the 1939 register, George, Susan and three of their sons, Cecil, Ronald and Eric, were at 17 Chatham Place Brighton, all the men were salesmen in fruit and green-grocery. There were three other single men at the same address, either lodgers or relations. The family ran 17 Chatham Place as a guest house, and purchased the property in the 1950s.

George seems to have infrequently used the local press to advertise his studios. The only example found so far has been The Isle of Wight County Press and South of England Reporter, 13 September 1913 to 11 October 1913 p1, which carried an advertisement:

"By presenting this coupon at "Sticky-backs" 110a High Street, Newport I.W., you are entitled to twelve photographs of yourself for 3d per dozen".

Presumably to attract business George relied on advertising on his premises, a good local footfall, and word of mouth. Only one local trade directory entry has been found for George’s stickyback businesses, for George Frederick SPELLS, photographer, 110a High Street, Newport, Isle of Wight, in the 1915 directory (incorporated in the "IOW Photographers" site at http://iowphotos.info/iowlist.htm.)

Studios which can be associated with George Spells with some certainty are as follows:

• Chichester, West Street, probably a busy studio at the height of popularity of stickybacks as George mentions crowds attracting police attention
• Petersfield (operated there on two different occasions, possibly at different addresses - one address was The Square)
• Newport, Isle of Wight, 110 High Street
• Cowes, Isle of Wight, address not known
• Ryde, Isle of Wight, 64 High Street
• Shanklin, Isle of Wight, Regent Street

Other possible studio locations, because one or more portraits from these studios have survived among papers now in the possession of George’s descendants:

• Midhurst, address not known
• Horsham 2 Park Street
• Bognor - Pier Arcade

We are most grateful to Jackie Blower for the information about George Spells and other members of her family and for her permission to reproduce a number of Stickyback photos from his studios. We would welcome further information on any of the studios mentioned above.

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