Active in Southampton 1851 - 1853

'Professor' Leslie advertised his 'Electro and Phothogenic' Portrait Rooms at 180 High Street Southampton in the Hampshire Advertiser in June 1851. He announced that his daguerreotype portraits were taken using a new American process, which produced far superior results to the process used by his competitors. In his advertisement he advised that portraits could be taken in all weathers in 5 seconds, and stated that portraits could be taken of 'sick and deceased relatives', producing 'the most beautiful portraits'.

1853 Southampton Post Office Directory 

Leslie was in direct competition with the only other photographic portrait studio in Southampton at the time, Barter's at 15 High Street. The two studios were across the road from each other and the wording of their advertising hinted strongly that there was considerable rivalry between the photographers. The Barters announced their introduction of stereoscopic photography in 1851, and compared this new technique to 'less advanced stages of the art'. Leslie's last advertisement in 1852 warned against going to inexperienced, unskilled and inferior artists in a lengthy advertisement. As the Barters and Leslie were the only photographers working in Southampton at the time, the unfavourable comparisons were clearly directed at each other. 

A 'Mr' Leslie advertised his portrait studio in Ryde on the Isle of Wight later in 1852. The 1853 Southampton Post Office directory included a section for Photographic Institutions, containing just 2 photographer's studios : G.G Barter and W.H Leslie.  

Turley, R V. (2001).Isle of Wight Photographers 1840-1940. Southampton: University of Southampton Libraries