| His first famous work was called ‘The Two Ways of
Life’, a combination print that was produced in 1857. He spent about
15 years in Wolverhampton at his house in Darlington Street and in
1862 moved to London where he opened a studio in Malden Road. He
made a modest living, but towards the end of his life money was in
short supply. He died in 1875 leaving his wife in poverty.
Early Years
Rejlander was born somewhere in Sweden in 1813. His death certificate states
that his father, Carl Gustaf Rejlander, a stone mason by trade was an officer in
the Swedish army. Edgar Jones states in his book1 that an extensive
search had been carried out to locate Rejlander’s father from the Swedish Army
records but no trace could be found.
At an early age Rejlander started painting and eventually studied in Rome
where he supported himself by doing portraiture, copying old masters and
lithography. It is thought that he visited Spain and afterwards returned to Rome
where he had a romantic liaison with a young lady and through this visited
England. By 1841 Rejlander was living in rooms on Castle Hill at Lincoln, where
he was initiated into freemasonry. A charcoal sketch that he made at the time of
a local election still exists.
References:
1. E.Y. Jones, 'Father of Art Photography: O.G. Rejlander 1813-75', David and
Charles, Newton Abbot (1973).
2. A.G. Fielding, 'Rejlander in Wolverhampton: His Sponsorship by William
Parke', History of Photography, Volume 11, Number 1, Jan-March 1987.
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