Guy Little Theatrical Photograph

Jane Hading is portrayed in a theatrical role, highlighting the practice of actors commissioning photographs in costume or everyday attire for public distribution, facilitating fan engagement and publicity.

The image is an albumen print from a glass negative, mounted on stiff card with the photographer's name, characteristic of 'cartes de visite' produced during their peak in the 1860s.

Originally part of Guy Tristram Little's extensive collection of theatrical photographs, this piece was bequeathed to the Victoria and Albert Museum upon his death in 1953.

Created circa 1900, though at the tail end of the 'carte de visite' era (patented 1854, popular through the 1860s), this photograph reflects the transitional period before 'cabinet cards' and postcards became prevalent in the 1890s.

As part of the V&A's Theatre Collections, initially founded on Mrs. Gabrielle Enthoven's theatrical collection (for which Little served as solicitor and executor), this photograph contributes to the historical record of late 19th-century theatrical portraiture and the evolution of photographic technology.