Kirsty Stonell Walker’s Light and Love: The Extraordinary Developments of Julia Margaret Cameron and Mary Hillier intriguingly explores how the gift of a camera transformed the lives of two women, one the lady of the house, the other her maid. Together they created a unique body of work that influenced countless generations of photographers. Julia … Read more
If you’re interested in studying the Victorian era seriously, then diaries and letters are important. At times I feel like a 21st-century snoop, devouring personal journals and private correspondence whenever I get the chance. Through contemporary accounts, the past may not always come alive but it shines through the mist more clearly. The diaries of … Read more
Sir Edward Burne-Jones’ painting King Cophetua and the Beggar Maid is based on the story of an African King who had never felt any attraction towards women until he spotted a beggar woman. In this tale of love at first sight, King Cophetua declares that despite her low social standing, she will be his queen. … Read more
When Julia Margaret Cameron was given a camera on her 48th birthday, a passion was born. The images she created are breathtaking, their composition is quite similar to the portraits painted by Rossetti and Burne-Jones. Tennyson asked Cameron to photograph a series of photos to illustrate his Idylls of the King. There is currently an … Read more
Via 24 Hour Museum: Exhibited from December 1 – March 16 2008, Victorian Visions features around 40 photographs selected from the V&A collection for display. The work of Julia Margaret Cameron will be included. The alluring and romantic world of late Victorian photography is the subject of a new exhibition at the Lady Lever Art … Read more