His father Eleazar Christmas (1841-1909) was born in London, and started off his working life as a coachbuilder. In 1866 he married Maria Beeson who was born in Bushey, and whose father was a master blacksmith. The first children were born in Watford but in about 1868 he moved from Watford to Brackley, Northamptonshire, and Lea Latimer Christmas was born there in 1871. By 1881 Eleazar had become an eating house keeper, at the Albion, 99 Chrisp Street, Bromley.

Lea Latimer Christmas (1871-1941) is listed as a photographer in the 1891 census, and was living with his parents in Bromley. There are no clues as to why he had taken up this profession. In August 1895, in Limehouse, he married Edith George, daughter of Jeremiah George, a draper. From about 1897  he was at Ansey House Studio, 104 Stoke Newington Road, Hackney, and in 1901  he was listed as a photographer, with two young children, his wife visiting friends.

Sometime before the 1911 census he moved to 90 Queens Road, Watford where he is described as a photographer (own account) and his wife is listed as a draper. In 1912 and 1914 the trade directories record his wife as a draper at the Queens Road address, followed by a move where she is recorded as a milliner at 23 St Catherine's Street, St Albans, in 1917 and 1922, but not 1926. [This is the address occupied by the Crown Publishing Co. in 1908/9.] He is not listed in the Hertfordshire directories - but he was clearly operating from the same addresses.

His brother Walter Henry Christmas, of 8 Queens Road, Bowes Park, Wood Green, Middlesex, also was a photographer during the First World War, taking photographs of the London Scottish in a musketry training camp at North Mimms in August 1915.

This one was taken by L. L. Christmas, 90 The Broadway, Queens Road, Watford, and shows a number of soldiers in a garden, and the cap badges show most were from the Royal Field Artillery. It was posted in Hemel Hempstead in August 1914 - which may be where the soldiers were billeted.

Royal Field Artillery (Howitzer) in early 1915.

Published from 23 St Catherine's Street, St Albans

A Post Card taken at Britons Camp,  near St Albans in 1915 with the St Albans address for L L Christmas.  Other cards are known which were taken at the camp.

A Mixed Group of Civilians and officers - possibly a liaison committee?

More Details

A picture of pupils in an as yet unidentified school, photographed when he was in St Albans so 1915 or later.

A note on the back records it as Miss Cooper's Class and records the number of prints (15 mounted and 25 post cards).

See An unknown Harpenden School