Jabez Hogg

Born in Chatham on April 4, 1817, he trained in medicine after studying at Rochester grammar school and serving an apprenticeship with a medical practitioner. He went on to build a career as an ophthalmic surgeon, becoming especially associated with eye care in Victorian London.

He is remembered not only for his medical work but also for his lively interest in science and technology. Alongside his surgical career, he wrote widely on the microscope and the ophthalmoscope, helping explain new tools and discoveries to a broader readership.

He also has a small but striking place in photographic history. An early daguerreotype showing him at work is often noted as one of the earliest known photographs of a photographer in action. He died on April 23, 1899.