Early Life and Family Background

Elijah Aldis entered the world in the early 1820s, born to Edward Aldis and Susanna Reeve. His roots were firmly planted in the English countryside, specifically in the area of Long Stratton, Norfolk, where he was baptised on 9 April 1822. The quiet rhythms of Norfolk life shaped his early years before he moved toward the more varied trades of the era.

By the time he reached his late twenties, his life had begun to take on the steady patterns of a settled man. In 1851, at the age of twenty-eight, he was working as an ornamental painter in Feltwell, Norfolk. This craft required a steady hand and an eye for detail, skills that would follow him through his later shifts in occupation. During this period, he lived with his wife, Elizabeth Fendick, and their young son, Arthur Frederick, who was born at Feltwall.

The union between Elijah Aldis and Elizabeth Fendick took place on 25 December 1847. Their wedding was held at Northwold, situated along the borders of Norfolk and Suffolk. This family unit formed the foundation of his life before his eventual move toward the cities and, much later, the distant shores of New Zealand.

Professional Activity in London and Ipswich

London provided a series of shifting occupations during the middle years of his life. Between 1858 and 1859, he worked as a builder at 28a George Street in the Marylebone district. By 1860, his focus had moved toward portrait painting, practicing from the same street for two years. This period of transition led to the opening of the Langham Photographic Studio in early 1863. The studio was situated on the first floor of the Portland Bazaar at Langham Place, Regent Street. A fire in the bazaar in July 1863 forced a relocation to Burton's shop at 47 Baker Street, where he maintained his studio until June 1864. He later moved to 12 Arthur Grove, Heriot Place, St Pancras, remaining there until 1865. From that year onward, he was a member of The Royal Photographic Society.

His connection to Ipswich emerged later, marked by a diverse range of interests. In 1883, he exhibited an oil painting titled Off to the Beach View, near Clovelly, North Devon at the Ipswich Fine Art Club. By 1885, his professional life in Ipswich had expanded to include work as a photographer, artist, and confectioner at 17 Westgate Street. This combination of trades suggests a man accustomed to the practicalities of running a small shop while maintaining his creative practice.

Emigration and Later Years in New Zealand

In April 1886, Elijah Aldis left England for New Zealand, traveling alongside his son, Albert Edward Aldis. They settled in Auckland, where they established a studio and art gallery located in Coombe's Arcade, just off Queen Street. This space served as a hub for his activities in the new colony, where he offered art classes to local students and exhibited his own works for sale.

His practice in Auckland involved a mix of teaching and private commissions. He took on work as a portrait painter, capturing the likenesses of individuals through commissioned studies. This period of his life was marked by the practicalities of running a gallery and maintaining a steady stream of portraiture work in a developing settlement.

The years in Auckland were relatively brief. After a period of severe illness, Elijah Aldis died on 19 July 1889, at the age of 66. He remained in Auckland at the time of his death.

Key Works and Artistic Contributions

Aldis’s interests extended beyond the canvas and the camera lens into the technical and the structural. In 1873, he published a book titled 'Carvings and Sculpture of Worcester Cathedral' in London, a work that required a close study of stone and form. His mind for mechanics was evident through several patents he held in both England and New Zealand, showing a practical side to his creative output that went beyond mere representation.

His portraiture remains a notable part of his legacy, particularly his depiction of Sir William Fox K.C.M.G. (1812-1893). This specific work is held within the Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki collection. The portrait captures a sense of the individual through the steady hand of a man who had spent years working as an ornamental painter and a portraitist in London.