Artwork
Guy Little Theatrical Photograph
Guy Little Theatrical Photograph is a photographic photography by Robinson & Co.. It dates from 1850 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
People, especially actors and actresses, would have their photos taken to create 'cartes de visite' or 'cabinet cards' to share with others.
This photograph is from the late 19th century. It's a work by Robinson & Co.
The photograph is of Zaré Thalberg, and it was made during a time when photography was a new and exciting development. People, especially actors and actresses, would have their photos taken to create 'cartes de visite' or 'cabinet cards' to share with others.
You can learn more about this kind of photography by looking up the work of the artist: Robinson & Co.
Overview
This late 19th-century photograph, produced by Robinson & Co., depicts Zaré Thalberg, an actor of the time. It exemplifies the popular Victorian-era practice of capturing theatrical personalities in studio settings for mass-produced photographic formats.
Subject & Meaning
The subject, Zaré Thalberg, is portrayed in theatrical attire, highlighting the photograph's purpose as a 'carte de visite' or 'cabinet card'—formats designed for the public to collect and admire images of beloved performers.
Technique & Style
Created using the albumen print process from a glass negative, the photograph is characterized by the aesthetic and technical standards of its era, mounted on stiff card backing with the photographer's imprint, though now detached and remounted in an album.
History & Provenance
Originally part of a large collection compiled by Guy Tristram Little, a collector and solicitor, the photograph was bequeathed to the V&A as part of his estate, linking it to the formation of the museum's Theatre Collections through Little's association with Mrs. Gabrielle Enthoven.
Context
Emerging during a period when photography was novel and rapidly gaining popularity, this work reflects the Victorian fascination with both the technology of photography and the glamour of the theatrical world.
Artist & collection
Artist
Robinson & Co. snapped the backstage hustle of late-1800s London theaters like a fly on the wall with a camera. They caught actors mid-change, wigs askew and stockings half-pinned, turning the glamorous curtain-call…
Guy Little Theatrical Photograph
Guy Little Theatrical Photograph
Guy Little Theatrical Photograph
Guy Little Theatrical Photograph
Guy Little Theatrical Photograph
Guy Little Theatrical Photograph
Guy Little Theatrical Photograph
Guy Little Theatrical Photograph
Guy Little Theatrical Photograph
Guy Little Theatrical Photograph