Frederick Vining

A carte-de-visite portrait of the actor Frederick Vining (1790-1871).

Born 4 November 1790, he was the son of Charles Vining, a silversmith of Kirby Street in London's Hatton Garden. He first appeared on the stage at Gravesend in 1807, next appearing with success in Bath and Norwich. His first appearance in London was at Covent Garden in The Poor Gentleman on 17 September 1813. For the rest of his career, he was the leading actor in genteel comedies at Covent Garden and the Haymarket. The Biography of British Stage of 1824 described him as 'decidedly the best personator of fops the stage can boast.’ He died on 2 June 1871.

Photographed in the spring of 1860 by Camille Silvy of London.