#portsmouth photographer

[fatchance]

Gravestones in the churchyard at Trinity Church, Portsmouth, Virginia.

[terminalvertigo]

[thoughtartistry]

Maine - NH Bridge at sunset.

[daviddurand]

Portsmouth

© David Durand 2023 - Website

[jaspersmithers]

Photos from around Portsmouth Harbour yesterday.

[carrotcakecrumble]

[antisquilly]

The Beer Garden, ( Milton Skatepark ).

The best crust in the UK.

Portsmouth, Hampshire.

[palmirypalm]

Recap for my life in 2023

[russellcollisonphotography]

Portsmouth Pride 2023 -2

[fatchance]

Virginia creeper creeping.

At Hoffler Creek Wildlife Preserve, Portsmouth, Virginia.

[herpsandbirds]

European Stag Beetle (Lucanus cervus), female, family Lucanidae, Portsmouth, UK

photograph by Colin Vanner

[daviddurand]

Portsmouth

© David Durand 2023 - Website

[jaspersmithers]

Autumn photographic experiments in a suburban garden number 29.

[ginandoldlace]

HMS Duke of Wellington firing a Royal Salute as Flagship at Portsmouth. Photograph taken between 1880-1890.

[antisquilly]

9 ounce to the bar, 4 bar to the key

[clove-pinks]

Inspired by @radiojamming sharing their photographs of Franklin Expedition signatures from the ships' muster books, I went through the digitised Le Vesconte Family Archives, held in the Provincial Archives of Newfoundland and Labrador, and grabbed screen shots of Henry T.D. Le Vesconte's signatures from assorted letters.

While none of them quite match the amount of swirls and flourishes that Le Vesconte used for his Very Special Muster Book Signature, I think it’s fascinating to see how his signature can vary over the years! It's also an open question of what, exactly, he is signing before his surname. Le Vesconte descendent William Wills partially transcribed a few letters, and he believed that his great-granduncle signed his name "T.D. Le Vesconte."

Personally, I think he's squeezing in an "HTD," which is the monogram on his wax seal that can be seen on quite a few of these scanned letters. (The H is unlike how he would write that letter normally, but I think he's trying to interweave it with the TD.)

From a letter to his father dated February 1, 1843—a typical cross-writing disaster. Did he only wrote "D" before "Le Vesconte"? Dundy truthers rejoice!

Your affectionate Son

[squiggle initials] Le Vesconte

From a letter to his father dated Bombay/HM Brig Clio Tuesday July 18 1843. You can see how much he loves a dramatic flourish with the T in Le Vesconte, and a loop or swirl on the final E.

Letter to his father dated [HMS] Calliope Rio Janeiro [sic] January 20 1839. It's a huge cross-written missive that just goes on and on and on; I think he forgot how to sign his own name at the end of this ordeal.

Letter to his father dated Clio off Nankin Aug. 15 1843. Noteworthy as he appears to sign his name "HTDLeV" at the margin of the page, after an abbreviated "Your affec. Son."

Finally, a letter addressed to his mother in this collection, dated HMS Erebus Woolwich April 16 1845. Very long cross on the T, and a flourish from the terminal E. It's signatures like this one that make me think he's signing all three of his first initials.

From a letter to his father, dated HMS Erebus May 2 1845. There is an HTD in there, right?? Anybody with me on this one??

From a letter to his mother dated May 15 Greenhithe [1845], with a short message for his older sister Rose at the end. A RARE "Henry"!! When he doesn't have a Le Vesconte to embellish, the Y in Henry will suffice.

Baby (23-year-old) Henry Le Vesconte's signature in a letter to father dated HMS Excellent Portsmouth Harbour Dec. 24 1836. I have transcribed this one, it's a great letter all around.

Your affec. Son HTDLeV. [?]

From a letter to his father dated Portsmouth October 17th 1844.

At the post image limit, I will close with "brother Henry" from a late 1844/early 1845 letter to his older sister Rose. He's obviously closer to her than to his other siblings (who may not have had much time to get to know him, since he was only 15 years old when he left home for good as a first class volunteer). Here's a rough transcription of this letter!