Tom Mathias

Career

Mathias was most professionally productive between the 1880s and 1920s 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. His work is a valuable and varied view of the community and social life of Bro Teifi in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Surviving collection Of negatives

In 1980, James Maxwell (Maxi) Davies, Chief Photographer at the R.A.E. Aberporth rescued and restored much of Matthias' glass negatives from his former home at Aberdyfan, Cilgerran. Without Davies' work, these photos 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.