Guy Little Theatrical Photograph

The image was made using the albumen printing process, common in studio photography from the 1850s to the 1890s. Glass negatives provided sharp detail, while the paper was coated with egg white and silver salts to produce a glossy, tonally rich surface. Mounted on a sturdy card, the format allowed for easy handling and display, typical of cabinet cards designed for album compilation rather than individual sale.

The photograph was part of Guy Tristram Little’s extensive collection of theatrical portraits, which he assembled over decades and later bequeathed to the V&A. Little, a partner in a London law firm, was also the executor of Gabrielle Enthoven’s estate, whose own collection became the foundation of the museum’s theatre holdings. The image was removed from its original backing and re-mounted in Little’s personal albums, reflecting his methodical curation.

Cabinet cards replaced the smaller carte de visite in the 1870s, offering a more durable and visually prominent format for celebrity portraiture. As photography became more accessible, these cards circulated widely among middle-class households, functioning as both souvenirs and status objects. Duse’s image, like others of prominent actors, helped bridge the gap between live performance and the emerging culture of visual fandom.

Little’s collection, including this photograph, preserved a critical record of 19th-century theatrical culture. The V&A’s Theatre Collections, built in part from his and Enthoven’s donations, remain a key resource for studying performance history. This image endures not as a work of art in isolation, but as a fragment of a broader social practice—collecting, remembering, and honoring the stage through the lens.