Guy Little Theatrical Photograph
London Stereoscopic and Photographic Company
1855
photographic
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
London Stereoscopic and Photographic Company
1855
photographic
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Guy Little Theatrical Photograph is a 1855 photographic by London Stereoscopic and Photographic Company, a Impressionism work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
This early photo shows actor Patty Chapman in a theatrical role. It’s a rare snapshot from 1855, made when photography was brand new. Back then, many actors posed for small albumen prints called “cartes de visite.” This one was printed on stiff card with the studio’s name on the back. These tiny portraits became hugely popular—people collected them like cards. They were the Instagram of the 1860s, minus the filters. Check out the Victoria and Albert Museum.
A sepia photograph signed by the London Stereoscopic and Photographic Company depicts Patty Chapman in her role as Louis XI at the Princess's Theatre in 1855. The image belongs to a collection of 19th-century theatrical photographs assembled by Guy Little and later donated to the Victoria and Albert Museum. It was produced as an albumen print from a glass negative, mounted on card as part of the popular carte de visite format introduced in 1854. The photograph reflects the Victorian practice of documenting stage performers for public and collector interest during the mid-19th century.
Read the full account in the museum source.
They snapped portraits for London’s theater crowd in the 1800s, turning actors and dancers into instant celebrities.
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