Seeking Photographs of Fanny Eaton: The Mixed-Race, Pre-Raphaelite Model and Muse

[Qiana Mestrich]

Fanny Eaton was an artists model from Jamaica best known for her work as a model for the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood and their circle between 1859–67. Read more about her here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fanny_Eaton 

Despite having modeled for many of the Pre-Raphaelite painters and also having moved amongst the photographers of this artistic movement, there appears to be no known photographs of Eaton. This seems impossible?

Eaton lived in London and also later in life worked as a domestic cook for a couple in the Isle of Wight, where Julia Margaret Cameron also lived. 

Does anyone know where I could begin to look for any existing images of Fanny Eaton?

Thanks in advance for your help!
Qiana Mestrich

[Michael Pritchard]

Might be worth contacting Autograph ABP and see if it has any knowledge of such an image. http://autograph-abp.co.uk/

[Helen Trompeteler]

Additionally it might be worth contacting Paul Frecker via The Library of Nineteenth-Century Photography: http://www.19thcenturyphotos.com/ and possibly societies like The William Morris Society and Pre-Raphaelite Society for advice?

[Qiana Mestrich]

Thanks Helen, I didn't know of those two sources. Will share what I find, if anything! Fanny Eaton and her artistic life is a current obsession of mine and I'm planning to do a photo series inspired by her. 

Helen Trompeteler said:

Additionally it might be worth contacting Paul Frecker via The Library of Nineteenth-Century Photography: http://www.19thcenturyphotos.com/ and possibly societies like The William Morris Society and Pre-Raphaelite Society for advice?

[Helen Trompeteler]

Good luck! Look forward to learning more about your project. 

Qiana Mestrich said:

Thanks Helen, I didn't know of those two sources. Will share what I find, if anything! Fanny Eaton and her artistic life is a current obsession of mine and I'm planning to do a photo series inspired by her. 

Helen Trompeteler said:

Additionally it might be worth contacting Paul Frecker via The Library of Nineteenth-Century Photography: http://www.19thcenturyphotos.com/ and possibly societies like The William Morris Society and Pre-Raphaelite Society for advice?

[Richard Sullivan HonFRPS]

Qiana,

I've checked my database and no hits on either F. Eaton or Fanny Eaton.

Lots of Fannys and an F. Eaton, a gentleman photographer who was quite active in the late 19th.

There are over 750,000 pages, mostly large pages, in the database, including French and German, so it is surprising there are no hits.

Did she marry? A name change might be the problem. I checked, no apparently, and there are a number of mentions of her in some contemporary books.

--Dick