Marble stem from candelabrum

The subject is a fragment of classical sculpture—a slender, carved marble column segment once part of a ceremonial candelabrum. Its quiet detail reflects the museum’s interest in recording decorative forms for academic reference. The object’s modest appearance underscores photography’s role in preserving everyday archaeological elements often overlooked in favor of grander artifacts.

Laffon employed the albumen print process, common in mid-19th-century documentary photography. The image is sharply focused, evenly lit, and composed with neutrality, emphasizing texture and form over drama. No embellishment or staging is evident; the approach aligns with scientific recording, prioritizing accuracy over artistic interpretation.

The photograph was produced as part of Laffon’s project documenting the Campana Collection in Paris, then housed in the Musée Napoléon III. In 1864, the V&A purchased 500 images from this series through Parisian agent E. Cappe. Laffon, one of the earliest female members of Le Société Française de la Photographie, contributed to institutional efforts to build visual reference collections across Europe.

The V&A, established as the South Kensington Museum in 1852, was the first museum to collect photographs as educational tools. Under Henry Cole’s leadership, images like Laffon’s were integrated into the National Art Library to support design students and curators. This practice preceded the acceptance of photography as fine art, positioning it instead as an extension of drawing and engraving for study.

Laffon’s work exemplifies the early institutional use of photography in museology. Her contributions, alongside other female photographers at the time, helped establish visual archives as essential to art education. Though her name faded from public view, her photographs remain part of the V&A’s foundational documentation of decorative arts, preserving material culture for future scholarship.