English amateur photographer Howard Esler most likely took this photograph in early 1895- showing a young man cooking a meal over an open fire inside his home. The photograph was exhibited later that year in the Fortieth Annual Exhibition of the Royal Photographic Society in London.

Howard Esler: 1870-1945

Born in St Kilda, Victoria, Australia, English amateur photographer Howard Esler died in Kensington, London, England. (1.)  Esler is well noted in the photographic literature of the 1890s, apparently gaining a bit of fame for his “Bachelor Life” photograph seen here. In August, 1897, Esler, a member of the South London Photographic Society, headed up an excursion to Northern Ireland along with club members. An excerpt, on their return:

The train was at once entered, and London was reached about nine o’clock on Sunday morning, having completed eight full days in Ireland, photographing a great variety of subjects and scenery. The excursion was most successfully carried out under the leadership of Mr. Howard Esler, of Peaceful Old Age and Bachelor Life fame, and the whole of the party were so satisfied with the outing that they expressed a wish that the trip should be repeated on another occasion. The thanks of the members are also due to Mr. Henry McNeill, of Larne, who made and carried out the whole of the arrangements for the travelling, housing, and provisioning of the members during their stay in the “distressful country.” (2.)

1. Biography on FamilySearch accessed September, 2024: When Howard Esler was born in 1870, in St Kilda, Victoria, Australia, his father, Dr. Robert Esler, was 34 and his mother, Eliza Dodds, was 27. He had at least 1 son and 1 daughter. He lived in Beckenham, Kent, England, United Kingdom in 1911 and Kensington, London, England, United Kingdom in 1939. He died in 1945, in Kensington, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom, at the age of 75.

2. Excerpt: SOUTH LONDON PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY’S EXCURSION TO IRELAND: The British Journal of Photography: September 10, 1897, p. 589