User:Robertjamesmorris/Tom Mathias

Tom Mathias (1866-1940) was a documentary photographer from Cilgerran, Pembrokeshire in the Teifi Valley.

Career

He was most professionally productive between the 1880's and 1920's and his trade was primarily in portraiture and family occasions such as christenings,weddings and family groups of wealthy local families.There were many in the area due to the large number of country houses and estates.He was also a keen astronomer,naturalist, bee-keeper and horticulturist.Cilgerran and the surrounding area at that time was a thriving commercial centre and had a number of successful industries with twelve slate quarries as well a very productive agricultural scene.He was well connected with the local gentry, primarily due to the Gower family, of Castle Malgwyn Estate as his wife was a former governess to them.This family provided him with many opportunities for a successful career through their social importance in the locality .Apart from his professional interests he was also a documentary photographer of local flora, fauna and every aspect of the domestic and social life of the gentry and their houses in every nook and cranny.His work is a valuable and varied view of the community and social life of Bro Teifi in the late C19th and early C20th.

Surviving Collection Of Negatives.

It is important to mention Mr.James Maxwell (Maxi) Davies, Chief Photographer at the R.A.E.Aberporth who, in 1980,rescued and restored much of Matthias' glass negatives from his former home at Aberdyfan, Cilgerran,and which would have been lost.Mrs.Davies documented the images in the collection and identified the subjects with help from people via articles published in the local newspaper