Artwork
Guy Little Theatrical Photograph
Guy Little Theatrical Photograph is a photographic photography by the Impressionist artist C. D. Fredericks. It dates from 1863 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. This 1863 photograph by C.
About this work
The picture is part of the early craze for actor portraits that fans collected like trading cards.
This photo from 1863 shows actress Adah Isaacs Menken dressed as a French spy. C. D. Fredericks took it in a London studio. The picture is part of the early craze for actor portraits that fans collected like trading cards.
Back then, “cartes de visite” were small photos on stiff card. They fit in albums and cost almost nothing. The trend lasted until the late 1870s.
If you like early photography, look up the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Overview
This 1863 photograph by C. D. Fredericks features Adah Isaacs Menken as a French spy.
Subject & Meaning
The image captures Menken in a theatrical costume, reflecting the Victorian era's fascination with actor portraits.
Technique & Style
The photograph is a carte de visite, a small albumen print on card, a popular format during the 1860s.
History & Provenance
The photograph was collected by Guy Tristram Little, a solicitor and collector, who bequeathed it to the V&A as part of a large collection of cartes de visite and cabinet cards.
Artist & collection
Artist
C. D. Fredericks shot crisp black-and-white portraits of actors in the 1860s. Their cabinet cards—small, collectible photographs—show performers in costume with painted backdrops. The “Guy Little Theatrical Photograph”…
