Artwork
Guy Little Theatrical Photograph
Guy Little Theatrical Photograph is a photographic photography by St James's Photographic Studio. It dates from 1850 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. This portrait captures the Victorian actor John Hare in a theatrical pose, produced as a photographic print for collectors.
About this work
Overview
This portrait captures the Victorian actor John Hare in a theatrical pose, produced as a photographic print for collectors. The image exemplifies the popular practice of issuing likenesses of performers on small, card‑sized formats that were exchanged and displayed much like visiting cards.
Subject & Meaning
Hare is presented in costume, emphasizing his stage persona for admirers and fellow theatre‑goers. Such images served both as personal memorabilia and as promotional material, reinforcing the actor’s public identity and allowing audiences to retain a visual connection to the performance.
Technique & Style
The print is an albumen photograph made from a glass negative, typical of mid‑19th‑century studio work. The image was originally mounted on a stiff card bearing the photographer’s imprint, a format that combined a glossy, silver‑toned surface with a decorative border suitable for display.
History & Provenance
Originally issued as a ‘carte de visite’ and later as a ‘cabinet card’, the photograph was removed from its original backing and re‑mounted in an album by collector Guy Tristram Little (d. 1953). Little, a solicitor and avid collector, bequeathed the assembled set to the Victoria and Albert Museum, where it now resides.
Context
During the 1860s the carte de visite became a mass‑produced fad, with millions printed for a market eager for portraiture. By the late 1870s larger cabinet cards supplanted the smaller format, before postcards and studio portraits eclipsed both in the 1890s.
Artist & collection
Artist
St James's Photographic Studio
This was the 1880s London studio where every actor wanted their photo taken—big hair, bigger expressions, and a backdrop that screamed “I’m on stage tonight.” Their prints were so sharp you could count the pins in a…
