[Benjamin William Leader]
1867–1870
![[Benjamin William Leader] by John and Charles Watkins](https://images.artheonmuseum.org/met/ph/thumb/benjamin-william-leader-685839.webp)
Medium
Albumen silver print
Dimensions
Approx. 10.2 x 6.3 cm (4 x 2 1/2 in.)
Classification
Photographs
Department
Photographs
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Albert Ten Eyck Gardner Collection, Gift of the Centennial Committee, 1970
Accession Number
1970.659.499
Tags
Art Historical Context
This intimate albumen silver print captures the profile of Benjamin William Leader, a prominent British landscape painter known for his luminous depictions of the English countryside. Photographed by the esteemed Victorian studio of John and Charles Watkins between1867 and 1870, the image exemplifies the carte-de-visite format—a small, wallet-sized portrait (approximately 4 x 2½ inches) that became a sensation in the 1860s. These photographs were collected and traded like calling cards by admirers, offering a glimpse into the era's fascination with celebrity and personal identity. The albumen...
About the Artist
John and Charles Watkins · 1840–1875
**John and Charles Watkins: Pioneers of Victorian Portrait Photography** John Watkins (1823–1874) and his younger brother Octavius Charles Watkins (1836–1882) were prominent British portrait photographers whose collaborative studio captured the luminaries of Victorian Britain.) Born in Raglan, Monmouthshire, Wales, John began his career around 1840, establishing a studio at 34 Parliament Street i...