Theo, 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, N668.3
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the glittering world of late 19th-century theater *Theo, from the Act series (N668)*, a charming albumen photograph capturing the poised likeness of an actress named Theo Created around 1888 by an unknown artist, this portrait measures just 3 3/4 × 2 1/16 inches, perfectly sized for the era's popular cartes de visite—small, collectible photos traded like trading cards among fans. Albumen prints, made by coating paper with egg whites and silver salts, were the gold standard for sharp, detailed photography in the Victorian age, allowing mass production of celebrity images. As ephemera...