Artwork
Guy Little Theatrical Photograph
Guy Little Theatrical Photograph is a photographic photography by the Impressionist artist Southwell Brothers. It dates from 1868 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
This photo shows Miss Herbert from 1868. It’s a theatrical portrait by the Southwell Brothers. The picture is a cabinet card, a stiff photo on cardboard that people collected back then.
Actors often posed for these cards to sell to fans. They were made with glass negatives and albumen prints, common in Victorian photo studios.
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Overview
This 1868 cabinet card photograph depicts Miss Herbert in a theatrical portrait, captured by the Southwell Brothers. The image is an albumen print mounted on stiff cardboard, a common format for collecting celebrity portraits during the Victorian era.
Subject & Meaning
Miss Herbert, an actress of the time, is portrayed in theatrical attire, reflecting the practice of actors posing for such photographs to cater to their fans. These collectible cards served as a means for the public to own likenesses of popular performers.
Technique & Style
The photograph was produced using a glass negative and albumen print process, typical of Victorian-era photography studios. The Southwell Brothers' composition and lighting choices, though not detailed here, would have conformed to the stylistic conventions of theatrical portraiture in that period.
History & Provenance
Originally part of a 'carte de visite' or 'cabinet card' collection, this piece was later mounted in an album by collector Guy Tristram Little.
Originally part of a 'carte de visite' or 'cabinet card' collection, this piece was later mounted in an album by collector Guy Tristram Little. Upon his death in 1953, the collection was bequeathed to the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A), where it contributes to the institution's Theatre Collections, initially founded on Mrs. Gabrielle Enthoven's theatrical collection, for which Little served as solicitor and executor.
Context
Emerging in the mid-19th century, 'cartes de visite' (patented 1854) and their successor, 'cabinet cards' (late 1870s), were wildly popular collectibles, not just for portraits but also for scenic views and artworks. This photograph represents a transitional moment, being a cabinet card from 1868, just before the peak of their popularity.
Legacy
As part of the V&A's Theatre Collections, this photograph of Miss Herbert by the Southwell Brothers contributes to the historical record of Victorian theatrical culture and the evolution of photographic technology and collecting practices during that era.
Artist & collection
Artist
