Artwork
Guy Little Theatrical Photograph
Guy Little Theatrical Photograph is a photographic photography by the Impressionist artist Alfred Ellis. It dates from 1896 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
This photo from 1896 shows Mary Moore as Dorothy in *Rosemary* at the Criterion Theatre.
This photo from 1896 shows Mary Moore as Dorothy in *Rosemary* at the Criterion Theatre. Alfred Ellis took it, part of a trend where actors posed in costume for publicity shots. Before movies, these “cartes de visite” and later “cabinet cards” spread fame fast.
Ellis worked in two art movements: Impressionism and Realism. This photo blends detail with soft effects, typical of both.
Check out more of Ellis’s work at the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Overview
This 1896 photograph by Alfred Ellis depicts Mary Moore as Dorothy in the play Rosemary at the Criterion Theatre.
Subject & Meaning
The image captures Mary Moore in character, exemplifying the practice of actors posing in costume for promotional purposes during the late 19th century.
Technique & Style
The photograph combines detailed representation with soft effects, reflecting the influences of both Impressionism and Realism on Ellis's work.
History & Provenance
The photograph was part of a collection assembled by Guy Tristram Little, a collector and solicitor who bequeathed it to the V&A upon his death in 1953.
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.
