Hugh Bridport, born in England in 1794, was a portrait painter, drawing instructor, architect, and engraver, who practiced lithography in Philadelphia 1828-1830s. Trained at the Royal Academy and with miniature painter Charles Wilkins, Bridport immigrated to Philadelphia with his artist brother George in 1816. Soon after their arrival, the brothers established an architectural drawing academy that operated until 1822. In 1824, Bridport served as a founding member of the Franklin Institute and taught architectural drawing classes there until 1833.

During the latter portion of this time, Bridport engaged in the trade of lithography with Kennedy & Lucas, the first commercial establishment in the city. He lithographed two of Kennedy & Lucas's earliest prints "Cowell as Crack in The Turnpike Gate" (1828) and "The Pagoda and Labyrinth Gardens, near Fairmount" (1828). Bridport would continue to work with Kennedy & Lucas as a lithographer as well as with the early premier firms of C. G. Childs and M. E. D. Brown. Although predominately a lithographer of portraits, including one of Rev. W.H. Furness, Bridport also drew the noted lithograph "Camp Meeting" after the painting by Alexander Rider as well as views of Niagara Falls ca. 1830. Bridport's work in lithography tapered off in the early 1830s and he focused his artistic career on portrait painting.

From the 1810s to 1840s, Bridport also exhibited paintings at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art and Artist's Fund Society. In the 1860s, he earned sufficient income to be taxed by the I.R.S.; representative of his 1860 census listing as a "gentleman" with a personal estate worth $15,000 (ca. $400,000 in 2008 dollars).

During his lithographic career, he maintained a portrait painting studio at Fifth and Chestnut streets and lived at 2 Ranstead Court in 1833. Bridport was married to Rachel (b. ca. 1820) with whom he had at least three children. Bridport died on July 17, 1870 with his final listing in the census as a "merchant."