Frank McFadden was christened at All Saints Church on 23 January 1856. On the 1871 census Frank, aged 15, is living with his family at Norma Cottage in Avenue Road. His father John was listed as a copper-plate printer at the Ordnance Survey. Frank was for many years also employed as an engraver for the Ordnance Survey, but is best remembered for his drawings of Southampton in the late 19th century. His best known work was Vestiges of Southampton, published in 1891, a collection of 12 etchings, including views of the West Gate, St Michael’s Church and Tudor House. Many of his drawings were based on photographs by his contemporary, Thomas Hibberd James, and are therefore largely factually accurate. He was also a portrait painter. On several occasions he exhibited at the Royal Academy. He was a friend of another artist with Southampton connexions, Sir Hubert Herkomer, whom he visited at Bushy several times. McFadden died in 1933, still living in Avenue Road.
Winkle Street
By Frank McFadden, 1891
Holy Rood Church
By Frank McFadden, 1891
An earlier version of this page stated that McFadden had produced a portrait of Giuseppe Garibaldi. A contributor has pointed out that is almost certainly incorrect, as Garibaldi's visit to Southampton was in 1864 when McFadden was 8, and online searches do not find any record of a portrait by McFadden.
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