Joseph Cundall (1818–1895) was an English publisher, writer, and pioneer photographer who made significant contributions to Victorian children's literature. Born in Ipswich, he trained as a printer before moving to London to work for the bookseller Charles Tilt. Writing under the pseudonym "Stephen Percy," Cundall eventually took over the Juvenile Library in 1841. He became a key figure in children's publishing, collaborating with Henry Cole on the Home Treasury series and establishing the St. George's Reading Library. Notably, in his 1848 work Treasury of Pleasure Books for Young Children, Cundall famously transformed the antagonist of "The Story of the Three Bears" from an ugly old woman into a pretty little girl, shaping the modern Goldilocks character.
Despite early success, Cundall faced bankruptcy in 1849, leading to new partnerships and a shift in focus toward the emerging field of photography. He founded the Photographic Institution on New Bond Street and became a founding member of the Royal Photographic Society of London. Partnering with prominent photographers like Robert Howlett and Philip Henry Delamotte, Cundall documented major historical events and engineering feats, including the construction of the SS Great Eastern and portraits of Crimean War heroes. In 1871, the British Government commissioned him to manage the first photographic record of the Bayeux Tapestry, cementing his legacy as a pioneer of documentary photography.
