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Guy Little Theatrical Photograph

Unknown

1857

photographic

From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum

Impressionism Realism Early 19th Century

Dominant colour

Guy Little Theatrical Photograph is a 1857 photographic by Unknown, a Impressionism work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.

Who painted this?: Unknown
When & what style?: 1857 · Impressionism
Where can I see it?: Victoria and Albert Museum

About this work

This photo shows two actors dressed up as characters from a play. They are in costume and posed on a stage. The photo is old and was taken a long time ago. This picture is interesting because it shows what actors looked like back then. It gives us a glimpse of what theater was like in the past. You can learn more about old photos like this one at the museum: Victoria and Albert Museum.

The story of this work

Overview

A hand-coloured photograph from 1857 depicts John Ryder performing as Bolingbroke alongside Charles Kean as Richard II in a production of *Richard II* at the Princess's Theatre. The image is an albumen print, typical of the cartes de visite format popular in the Victorian era for theatrical portraits. It was later removed from its original card backing and mounted in an album compiled by collector Guy Tristram Little, whose bequeathed theatrical photographs now form part of the Victoria and Albert Museum’s holdings.

Read the full account in the museum source.