John Speed was born in 1616 in the town of Doncaster, now part of South Yorkshire, England. He was apprenticed to a goldsmith and left for London in 1629. He is thought to have been the first person to use photography as an art form. A hundred years or so later, he was called upon by Charles II to perform the portrait of the king and queen
It is said that his portrait of Charles II is the earliest existing portrait of a British monarch. John Speed died in 1657 and was buried in Westminster Abby.
On suicide: Those are vanities, child. They cause immeasurable suffering in this life and all future lives. Who knows, perhaps you have been given this harsh portion because of misdeeds in some past life.John Speed
This is desire, daughter, the endless piercing that informs the universe throughout eternity,John Speed
