Artwork
Guy Little Theatrical Photograph
Guy Little Theatrical Photograph is a photographic photography by the Impressionist artist Herbert Rose Barraud. It dates from 1890 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. This photograph, taken in 1890, captures actress Geraldine Ulmar in character as Marton from the play La Cigale at London’s Lyric Theatre.
About this work
This photo from 1890 shows Geraldine Ulmar playing Marton in the play *La Cigale* at the Lyric Theatre.
This photo from 1890 shows Geraldine Ulmar playing Marton in the play *La Cigale* at the Lyric Theatre.
It was made by Herbert Rose Barraud, a photographer who made many portraits of actors in costume.
Back then, these small prints were traded like trading cards by fans.
Bigger, sturdier cards came later, but these early photos were popular in the 1860s.
They were made from glass negatives and printed on stiff card.
Look up the Victoria and Albert Museum next.
Overview
This photograph, taken in 1890, captures actress Geraldine Ulmar in character as Marton from the play La Cigale at London’s Lyric Theatre. Produced by Herbert Rose Barraud, it is one of many theatrical portraits collected by Guy Tristram Little, a solicitor and avid archivist of popular visual culture. The image was originally a cabinet card—a larger, more durable format than the earlier carte de visite—mounted on cardstock with the photographer’s imprint, reflecting late-Victorian practices in theatrical portraiture.
Subject & Meaning
Geraldine Ulmar portrayed Marton, a role in the popular operetta La Cigale, which blended comedy and music in the style of French boulevard theatre. The photograph preserves her performance in costume, offering a tangible link between stage and audience. Such images served not only as souvenirs but also as cultural artifacts that extended the reach of theatrical performances beyond the live event, allowing fans to engage with actors as public figures.
Technique & Style
The image was produced using the albumen printing process from a glass negative, a standard method in late 19th-century photography. Barraud’s composition emphasizes theatricality through lighting and pose, framing Ulmar in full costume against a neutral backdrop. The card’s sturdy mount and printed studio signature reflect commercial conventions of the time, designed for durability and collector appeal, distinguishing it from earlier, smaller carte de visite formats.
History & Provenance
The photograph was part of a vast personal collection assembled by Guy Tristram Little, who meticulously removed such images from their original mounts and reorganized them into themed albums. Upon his death in 1953, the collection was bequeathed to the Victoria and Albert Museum. Little, also the executor of Gabrielle Enthoven’s estate, played a key role in preserving Britain’s theatrical visual heritage, ensuring the survival of ephemeral performance culture.
Context
In the 1880s and 1890s, cabinet cards replaced the smaller carte de visite as the dominant format for theatrical portraits, reflecting growing public interest in celebrity culture. Photographers like Barraud specialized in capturing actors in character, catering to a market that collected these images as both memorabilia and status symbols. The rise of such collections coincided with the expansion of London’s theatre district and the professionalization of stage performance.
Legacy
Little’s collection, now held by the V&A, remains a vital resource for understanding Victorian and Edwardian theatre. These photographs document not only individual performances but also the evolving relationship between stage and visual media. The preservation of such ephemera has enabled scholarly study of costume, performance style, and fan culture, grounding theatrical history in material artifacts rather than textual records alone.
Artist & collection
Artist
Herbert Rose Barraud took black-and-white photos of theater actors in the late 1800s.
