Alfred, Lord Tennyson And His Friends A Series of 25 Portraits and Frontispiece In Photogravure From The Negatives Of Mrs. Julia Margaret Cameron And H.H.H. Cameron Reminiscences By Anne Thackeray Ritchie With Introduction By H.H. Hay Cameron

Mrs. Julia Margaret Cameron

RA Collection: Book

Record number

05/1106

Author

Mrs. Julia Margaret Cameron

Imprint

London: T. Fisher Unwin Paternoster Square, 1893

Physical Description

[2], 16 p., [25] pl. (incl. divisional title pl.); 445 mm.

[Leaf stating print-run; half-title, title page] - List Of Portraits - Introduction - Reminiscences - [Divisional title-plate] - [Plates].

Responsibility Note

The divisional title-plate is signed as designed by W.A. Smith. Most plates are not signed but carry the inscription, 'from life'. In his Introduction Mrs Cameron's son records that his mother's photographs are here supplemented by his own, but does not state which are his. Five plates carry the name of the source-artist G.F. Watts, R.A.; one, that of Chantrey.

References

C. Ricks, ed., Tennyson and his friends [exhibition catalogue] (1992); J. Howard, Whisper of the Muse [exhibition catalogue] (1990); Cameron: her work and career, by J. Lukitsch [exhibition catalogue] (1986); A. Hopkinson, Julia Margaret Cameron (1986); Virginia Woolf, Freshwater: a comedy, ed. L.P. Ruotolo (1976).

Summary Note

The half-title is preceded by a leaf on which is printed, 'This Edition Is Limited To 400 Copies, Of Which 150 Are For Sale In The United States Of America. This Copy Is Number 404'.

The first plate is a divisional title-plate; the rest are all portraits captioned with the name of the sitter. They show Alfred Lord Tennyson (4 plates), Arthur Hallam, Lady Tennyson, Carlyle, Browning, Gladstone, Herschel, Hallam Lord Tennyson, Lionel Tennyson, Mrs. Cameron, G.F. Watts, James Spedding, Darwin, Longfellow, Dr Jowett, Dr Butler, Mrs Thackeray Ritchie, Dean Bradley, James Russell Lowell, the Marquis of Dufferin and Ava, W.E.H. Lecky and Henry Irving as 'Becket'.

In the Introduction Mrs Cameron's son quotes her words, 'When I have had these men before my camera my whole soul has endeavoured to do its duty towards them recording faithfully the greatness of the inner as well as the features of the outer man'. Mrs Ritchie reminisces, 'Mrs Cameron's power was a peculiar one ... She had a directness and originality ... which she applied to other things than chemicals ... and also expected much from her sitters ... We trembled (or we should have trembled had we dared to do so) when the round black eye of the camera turned upon us, we felt what consequences, what disastrous waste ... might ensue from any passing shiver of emotion'.

Copy Note

Imperfect; lacks three plates (portraits of Carlyle, Gladstone and Irving).

Binding Note

20th-century brown cloth-covered boards; red morocco spine label lettered 'Cameron - Photogravure Portraits Of Tennyson', spine lettered 'R.A.'

Name as Subject

Alfred Tennyson, 1st baron Tennyson
Mrs. Julia Margaret Cameron

Subject

Celebrities - Poets - Writers - Portraits - Great Britain - History - 19th century
Pictorial works - Photomechanical prints - Photogravures - Great Britain - 19th century

Contributors

Henry Herschel Hay Cameron
Lady Anne Isabella Ritchie
Thomas Fisher Unwin, publisher
W.A. Smith, draughtsman
George Frederic Watts RA, source artist
Sir Francis Chantrey RA, source artist