Guy Little Theatrical Photograph
1850
photographic
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
1850
photographic
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Guy Little Theatrical Photograph is a 1850 photographic by Bacard Fils, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
This is a 19th-century photograph of actor M. Barré by photographer Bacard Fils. It’s a portrait meant for fans to collect and trade. Victorian audiences loved these small albumen prints on stiff card. Back then, photography was brand new. Most actors posed in costumes or simple clothes for these "cartes de visite." The trend took off in the 1860s before fading in the 1890s. Look up albumen prints next.
This photograph by Bacard Fils depicts M. Barré and reflects the mid-19th-century trend of theatrical portraiture in the form of albumen prints on card mounts. It belongs to a collection of cartes de visite and cabinet cards compiled by Guy Tristram Little, who later donated the material to the V&A. The image exemplifies the widespread practice of collecting actor portraits alongside scenic and artistic subjects during the 1860s. The collection, originally assembled in albums, includes works that document Victorian-era theatrical culture.
Read the full account in the museum source.
Bacard Fils snapped photos so crisp they feel alive. This 19th century photographer loved the stage—drag queens, singers, tightrope walkers—capturing their glitter and grit under harsh gaslight. His "Guy Little…
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