Frederick G. Tutton was an early pioneer of colour photography and a founding member of the colour group of the Royal Photographic Society in 1927, alongside Agnes Warburg and Violet Blaiklock. He joined the society in 1916 and was awarded a Fellowship in 1923. Tutton was keen on experimenting with different colour processes and produced three-colour as well as two-colour prints. He developed the tri-colour carbro process further to enhance and intensify the colours in the final print and make them look more ‘natural’ by using specific dyes. For his ‘natural photography’ he was widely recognised and received a medal by the Royal Photographic Society for his colour transparency ‘Wallflower, Pottery and a Book’. He was especially praised for the colour of his oranges and natural-looking strawberries. To emphasize the qualities of colour photography Tutton took many pictures of carefully arranged still lives of fruit and flowers. Nudes, portraits and scenic landscapes are also part of his oeuvre.
Born in Britain, Tutton later emigrated to the United States and his work was exhibited at the Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Science and The Pittsburgh Salon of Photographic Art. Tutton did not only make photographs himself, but also shared his knowledge in lectures on the ‘Principles and Practice of Colour Photography’. His career was cut short as he tragically died at the young age of 43.