Artwork
Guy Little Theatrical Photograph
Guy Little Theatrical Photograph is a photographic photography by the Impressionist artist Alfred Ellis. It dates from 1898 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. The image depicts Letty Lind portraying the character Iris in the production A Greek Slave, performed at Daly's Theatre.
About this work
Overview
The image depicts Letty Lind portraying the character Iris in the production A Greek Slave, performed at Daly's Theatre. It is a photographic print typical of the late Victorian era, when photography was becoming a popular means of documenting theatrical costumes and personalities.
Subject & Meaning
Letty Lind, a celebrated dancer and actress of the 1890s, is shown in full stage costume, highlighting the elaborate design and color schemes favored by Edwardian theatre. The portrait captures both the performer’s poise and the visual spectacle of the production, serving as a visual record of a specific role.
Technique & Style
The picture is an albumen print made from a glass negative, a common process for cartes de visite and cabinet cards of the period. The image was originally mounted on a stiff card bearing the photographer’s imprint, then later removed and re‑mounted in an album.
History & Provenance
The photograph formed part of a larger assemblage of cartes de visite and cabinet cards that were collected by Guy Tristram Little (d. 1953). Little, a solicitor and avid collector of ephemera, transferred the images from their original card backs into bound albums, which he bequeathed to the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Context
During the 1860s and 1870s, cartes de visite—small visiting‑card‑sized photographs—were mass‑produced and exchanged as collectibles. They were later superseded by larger cabinet cards, which in turn gave way to postcards and studio portraiture by the 1890s. This photograph reflects that transitional phase in photographic publishing.
Legacy
The image contributes to the visual documentation of late‑19th‑century British theatre, offering scholars insight into costume design, performance aesthetics, and the social practice of collecting theatrical photographs as personal memorabilia.
Artist & collection
Artist
Alfred Ellis spent most of his career in a cramped studio above a London tailor’s shop, the smell of wool clinging to his camera lenses.
