Artwork
Guy Little Theatrical Photograph
Guy Little Theatrical Photograph is a photographic photography by Hana Studios. It dates from 1850 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. The image is a Victorian-era photograph depicting actress Phyllis Broughton, likely in costume from the production "Gentleman Joe.
About this work
Overview
The image is a Victorian-era photograph depicting actress Phyllis Broughton, likely in costume from the production "Gentleman Joe." It is an example of the popular portrait formats of the period, originally produced as a carte de visite or cabinet card.
Subject & Meaning
Broughton, a stage performer of the late 19th century, is shown in theatrical attire, reflecting the practice of actors commissioning portraits that highlighted their roles and public personas for fans and collectors.
Technique & Style
The picture is an albumen print made from a glass negative, a standard process for cartes de visite and cabinet cards. These prints were affixed to stiff card stock that bore the photographer’s imprint, offering a durable, portable format for personal exchange.
History & Provenance
The photograph formed part of a larger assemblage of cartes de visite and cabinet cards that were later removed from their original backs and mounted in albums by Guy Tristram Little (d. 1953). Little, a solicitor and avid collector of ephemera, bequeathed the collection to the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Context
During the 1860s, cartes de visite became a social craze, with millions produced for exchange among friends and admirers. By the late 1870s, the larger cabinet card replaced them, before postcards and studio portraiture overtook the market in the 1890s.
Artist & collection
Artist
Hana Studios spent the 1800s turning actors into tiny movie stars before movies existed.
