Marble bust of Mercury
1864
photographic
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
1864
photographic
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
This is a 1863–64 photo that looks like a marble bust of Mercury. It’s by Louise Laffon, a French photographer who worked in the 1800s. The photo sits in the Victoria and Albert Museum’s early photography collection. Early museums saw photos as tools for artists and students. The V&A started collecting photographs in 1852 and showed them by 1858. Henry Cole, the first director, believed photos could expand what artists could study. Look up the Victoria and Albert Museum next.
