Artwork
Guy Little Theatrical Photograph
Guy Little Theatrical Photograph is a photographic photography by Fuerin. It dates from 1850 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Overview
This photograph depicts Jane Hading, a late 19th-century stage actress, captured by the photographer Fuerin. The image is a cabinet card, a format popular during the Victorian era for sharing portraits of notable figures.
Subject & Meaning
The photograph shows Jane Hading in character, reflecting the practice of actors having studio photographs taken in theatrical costume. This image would have been used to promote Hading and allow fans to remember her performances.
Technique & Style
The cabinet card format, larger than the earlier 'carte de visite', was a prevalent means of displaying photographic portraits. Made from glass negatives and attached to stiff card, these prints were a common way to share images of actors and other public figures during the late 19th century.
History & Provenance
This cabinet card is part of a collection assembled by Guy Tristram Little, a collector and solicitor who bequeathed his photographs to the V&A. Little's collection also included greetings cards and games, and he played a role in shaping the V&A's Theatre Collections through his work with Mrs. Gabrielle Enthoven.
Artist & collection
Artist
Fuerin spent his life in the wings of London theaters, capturing actors mid-laugh or mid-song before the play began.
