An image uploaded to social media shows a long-forgotten side of Maltese life…

In the photo, posted by the ‘Richard Ellis – 150th Anniversary’ Facebook page, a man can be seen kneeling down by the sea to wash an ‘ghonella’ – a traditional piece of Maltese clothing.

The man was most probably doing this as a favour to a female relative of his. Back in the day, washing garments in sea water was no an uncommon occurrence.

This iconic image was taken by none other than Maltese pioneer photographer Richard Ellis.

Richard was born in 1842 in East London. He travelled all across Europe as a circus performer before settling down in Malta in 1861, thus escaping the troubles that were plaguing Italy at the time.

During this period, photography in Malta was far from a common practice.

In 1865, Richard and his adoptive father, James Conroy, went on to open a photography studio in Valletta, thus paving the way for photography in Malta.

By 1871, Richard had his own personal studio set up in the infamous Strait Street and soon became popular with both locals and the British.

He also married a Maltese woman and thus, became a naturalised Maltese citizen in the process.

Richard didn’t limit himself to one style of photography, as he is known to have shot many different genres, such as views, portraits, and society photography.

Although, he loved shooting the everyday life of the common people in Malta, Richard also had a stellar client list like no other.

These involve many queens, kings, and royal members from all over Europe – including King George V of the United Kingdom and King Albert I of Belgium.

His photography of 19th century and early 20th century Malta was of essence for historians and anthropologists to continue discovering the rich social history of the Maltese islands. We wouldn’t know much about the old Maltese lifestyle if it wasn’t for him.

Facebook/Richard Ellis - 150th anniversary