'In Affectionate Remembrance of Him Whom We All Mourn,' English Albumen Carte de Visite, Circa 1865
"Britton & Sons Photographers, 40 High Street, Barnstaple."
Written on reverse: "In affectionate remembrance of him whom we all mourn."
The combination of image detail and inscription indicates that this English couple were in mourning for a male family member who had died within the previous year. The woman is dressed in deepest mourning and would probably have worn a black bonnet and veil outdoors. Her husband or brother is dressed in what men typically wore for mourning--simply their best black suit. Outdoors, he may have worn a top hat with a crape band, the width of which would indicate the closeness of the deceased--the wider the band, the closer the relation.
The inscription also allows us to infer why so many Victorians sat for photographs while in mourning. Photography, when this image was taken, was only available to the public for about 25 years. The carte de visite, which became wide spread in the early 1860s, was photography's fourth major manifestation after the daguerreotype, the ambrotype, and the tintype--even so, having one's likeness taken was not something that occurred often, and when it did, it was often done to mark a special moment, albeit a grievous one.
Reverse with inscription: www.flickr.com/photos/60861613@N00/9359083941/in/photostr...
'In Affectionate Remembrance of Him Whom We All Mourn,' English Albumen Carte de Visite, Circa 1865
"Britton & Sons Photographers, 40 High Street, Barnstaple."
Written on reverse: "In affectionate remembrance of him whom we all mourn."
The combination of image detail and inscription indicates that this English couple were in mourning for a male family member who had died within the previous year. The woman is dressed in deepest mourning and would probably have worn a black bonnet and veil outdoors. Her husband or brother is dressed in what men typically wore for mourning--simply their best black suit. Outdoors, he may have worn a top hat with a crape band, the width of which would indicate the closeness of the deceased--the wider the band, the closer the relation.
The inscription also allows us to infer why so many Victorians sat for photographs while in mourning. Photography, when this image was taken, was only available to the public for about 25 years. The carte de visite, which became wide spread in the early 1860s, was photography's fourth major manifestation after the daguerreotype, the ambrotype, and the tintype--even so, having one's likeness taken was not something that occurred often, and when it did, it was often done to mark a special moment, albeit a grievous one.
Reverse with inscription: www.flickr.com/photos/60861613@N00/9359083941/in/photostr...