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Creator:
Frecker, Paul
Title(s):
Cartomania : photography & celebrity in the nineteenth century / Paul Frecker.
Additional Title(s):
Photography and celebrity in the nineteenth century
Published/Created:
[Tewkesbury] : September Publishing, 2024.
©2024
Physical Description:
474 pages : illustrations (some color), portraits ; 25 cm
Holdings:
Reference Library
TR681.F3 F74 2024 (LC)
Accessible in the Reference Library [Hours]
Classification:
Books
Notes:
Includes bibliographical references (pages 466-470) and indexes.
"Cartomania was a photographic phenomenon that seized the public imagination at the beginning of the 1860s. Small portraits, dubbed cartes de visite, were avidly exchanged with friends and family, quickly earning a reputation as 'the paper currency of social intercourse'. Compiled into albums and prominently displayed in the home to peruse, assess and discuss, this first explosion of commercial portraiture proved a wildly popular craze, particularly once celebrities embraced the new format. Paul Frecker's lavishly illustrated account brings fresh insight into the careers of the enterprising men and women who established studios and into the lives of those who passed before their cameras. With unparalleled depth of research and evocative prose, he vividly brings to life the photographers and many of their subjects. From reigning queens and visiting sultans to grieving mothers and nefarious criminals, all life lies within. Whether dressed in their best or in fancy dress, Cartomania's devotees and their often extraordinary stories are laid bare in this fascinating view of mid-Victorian society." --Publisher's description.
Subject Terms:
1800–1899
Carte de visite photographs -- History -- 19th century.
Celebrities -- Great Britain -- Portraits -- 19th century.
Photography -- Great Britain -- History -- 19th century.
Portrait photography -- Great Britain -- History -- 19th century.
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  • Introduction
  • Author's Notes
  • chapter one. Origins
  • chapter two. Photographers
  • chapter three. The Sitting
  • chapter four. Royalty
  • chapter five. Celebrities
  • chapter six. Copyright and Piracy
  • chapter seven. Courtesans
  • chapter eight. Sensations
  • chapter nine. Cataloguing Society
  • chapter ten. Armchair Travellers
  • chapter eleven. Faith and Doubt
  • chapter twelve. Death and Mourning
  • chapter thirteen. The Decline
  • chapter fourteen. Small Windows Into Past Lives.