Artwork
Guy Little Theatrical Photograph
Guy Little Theatrical Photograph is a photographic photography by George Louis Palmella Busson Du Maurier. It dates from 1850 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. The image is a photographic portrait of the celebrated soprano and stage performer Lina Cavalieri.
About this work
Overview
The image is a photographic portrait of the celebrated soprano and stage performer Lina Cavalieri. Captured during the late nineteenth century, the work exemplifies the popular practice of producing small, collectible prints of theatrical personalities for personal and public enjoyment.
Subject & Meaning
Lina Cavalieri, famed for her operatic and dramatic roles, is presented in a pose that highlights her stage persona, reflecting the era’s fascination with celebrity and the desire to possess a tangible likeness of admired performers.
Technique & Style
The portrait is an albumen print derived from a glass negative, a standard method for ‘cartes de visite’ and later ‘cabinet cards’. These prints were mounted on a stiff card bearing the photographer’s imprint, offering a durable, glossy surface that reproduced fine detail and tonal range.
History & Provenance
Originally part of a larger assemblage of ‘cartes de visite’ and ‘cabinet cards’, the photograph was removed from its original backing and re‑mounted in an album by Guy Tristram Little, a solicitor and avid collector of ephemera. Upon his death in 1953, Little bequeathed the collection to the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Context
During the Victorian period, photographic portrait cards became a fashionable medium for sharing images of notable individuals, scenic views, and artworks. Their popularity shifted from the small ‘cartes de visite’ of the 1860s to the larger ‘cabinet cards’ of the 1870s, before giving way to postcards in the 1890s.
Artist & collection
Artist
George Louis Palmella Busson Du Maurier
George Louis Palmella Busson du Maurier (French: ; 6 March 1834 – 8 October 1896) was a French-British cartoonist, illustrator, and novelist.
