Guy Little Theatrical Photograph
10
photographic
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
10
photographic
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Dominant colour
Guy Little Theatrical Photograph is a 10 photographic by Southwell Brothers, a Impressionism work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
This photo shows Mademoiselle Carlotta Patti in a theatrical style shot. It’s one of many actor portraits made in the 1860s boom of small albumen prints called “cartes de visite.” These pocket-sized cards were everywhere back then—people traded them like early trading cards. They faded out once bigger “cabinet cards” took over in the late 1870s. Check out the Victoria and Albert Museum for more on this era.
This photograph by the Southwell Brothers depicts Mademoiselle Carlotta Patti and is an albumen print on card, typical of Victorian theatrical cartes de visite or cabinet cards. Produced from glass negatives, it features the photographer’s printed studio mark on the backing, reflecting the widespread practice of collecting such portraits in the 1860s and 1870s. The image is part of a larger collection assembled by Guy Tristram Little, a solicitor and collector who donated it to the Victoria and Albert Museum in the early 20th century.
Read the full account in the museum source.
