Guy Little Theatrical Photograph
1859
photographic
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
1859
photographic
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Guy Little Theatrical Photograph is a 1859 photographic by Alphonse Liebert, a Impressionism work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
This photo shows an actor named M. Hyacinthe, shot by Alphonse Liebert around 1859. It’s an albumen print on card, part of the trend where performers sold posed photos to fans. These “cartes de visite” were small enough to slip into an album. Victorian fans collected them like postcards—stars, sights, even art prints. Hyacinthe’s card would have carried Liebert’s studio stamp on the back. Look up the Victoria and Albert Museum to see more of these early celebrity photos.
This photograph by Alphonse Liebert depicts M. Hyacinthe and belongs to a collection of 19th-century theatrical portraits assembled by Guy Little, later donated to the Victoria and Albert Museum. The image is an albumen print on card backing, typical of the "cartes de visite" format patented in 1854, which were widely produced during the 1860s. These small portraits, often featuring actors in costume or everyday attire, were collected as personal keepsakes or for albums. The collection was part of Little’s broader holdings of photographs, which he bequeathed to the museum in the early 20th…
Read the full account in the museum source.
These photos capture actors backstage in the 1800s, freezing poses and props before the curtain rises.
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