Actress seated in straight-backed chair, from the Actresses series (N668)
Unknown Artist
ca. 1888
Medium
Albumen photograph
Dimensions
Sheet: 3 3/4 × 2 1/16 in. (9.5 × 5.2 cm)
Classification
Photographs|Ephemera
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, Gift of Jefferson R. Burdick
Accession Number
Burdick 230, N668.75
Tags
Art Historical Context
This charming albumen photograph, titled *Actress Seated in Straight-Backed* from the Actresses series (N668), a poised female performer in a simple, elegant pose around 1888. The petite format—measuring just 3 3/4 × 2 1/16 inches—typifies the era's ephemera, printed images designed for easy collection and exchange, much like trading cards. Albumen prints, made by coating paper with egg whites and silver salts, were the gold standard for sharp, detailed photography in the late 19th century, allowing mass production of affordable portraits. Part of The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Jefferson R....