Chiswick Auctions will feature some very interesting 19th-century photography in its upcoming 19th & 20th Century Photographs sale, kicking off with 50 cased images, and then moving into early paper photographs, including a rare and early salt paper calotype photograph dating from 1858 of eminent female photographer Julia Margaret-Cameron.
The 19th & 20th Century Fine Photographs sale will be one of our broadest yet in terms of 19th Century Photography on offer, including pieces from key figures of the pre-Raphaelite movement.
The image Mrs Cameron & Julie was a self-portrait taken at Little Holland House, 1858, of Julia Margaret-Cameron and her daughter – the person who famously originally gave her a camera in 1863, given with the words “It may amuse you, Mother, to try to photograph during your solitude at Freshwater.” It has an estimate of £4,000 – 6,000.
“This image has not appeared on the auction market for nearly 40 years, and interest and understanding of Cameron’s body of work has grown immeasurably since then,” said Head of Photography, Austin Farahar.
“The offering of this calotype photograph in our 1 December auction presents a unique opportunity to acquire a truly important piece of the story of one of the foremost female photographers of the 19th century.”
Alongside this, the sale will also include portraits taken by Margaret-Cameron, including Déjatch Alámayou / King Theodore's Son, 1868 – of the son of Tewodros (Theodore) II, emperor of Ethiopia.
Also included is her 1865 portrait of Henry Taylor - who was a poet, essayist, and civil servant. The estimates for these two lots are £500 – £700 and £400 – £600 respectively.
The Sale also features the Mac Corquodale family photograph album with a rare portrait of Alice & Edith Liddell, and two other photographs taken by Lewis Carroll (lot 140 & lot 152)
Across the rest of the auction, there are some truly remarkable examples of 19th-century photography in a variety of formats, documenting fascinating moments of history, from Britain’s colonial past to the phenomenon of early American so-called ‘freak shows’ to early mixed-race relationships.
One lot includes an early Ambrotype portrait of the Carolina twins, Millie & Christie Mckoy, who were sold into P.T. Barnham’s famed American Museum in New York. After being abducted and taken to England, they were later reunited with their mother and freed under the Emancipation Act of 1863.
Another includes a collection of a collection of photographs documenting the Anti-plague Medical Campaign in India in 1897, including family portraits, group pictures, portraits of workers and street views.
There is also a collection of 10 photographs of Suffragette protests from 1910, from a selection of press agencies of the time, including the “Topical” press agency, London News Agency Photo and World Graphic Press.
In total, the sale features works from over 170 photographers and studios - including 19th-century names such as John Jabez Edwin Mayall, Antoine François Jean Claudet, and Francis Frith, and 20th-century photographers Melvin Sokolsky, Norman Parkinson and Andre de Dienes - spanning topics from street photography to dance to the military. A wide range of photographic techniques are also showcased across the lots, including magic lantern slides, silver gelatin prints, and wet plate negatives.
19th & 20th Century Photographs, Wednesday 1 December, 2:30pm
For further information on the auction, please contact Head of Department, Austin Farahar austin.farahar@chiswickauctions.co.uk and find viewing times below:
Viewings at our South Kensington Showroom
Thurs 18 Nov, 10am to 5pm
Fri 19 Nov, 10am to 5pm
Mon 22 Nov, 10am to 5pm
Tue 23 Nov, 10am to 5pm
Wed 24 Nov, 10am to 5pm
Thurs 25 Nov, 10am to 5pm
Fri 26 Nov, 10am to 5pm
Mon 29 Nov, 10am to 5pm
19th & 20th Century Fine Photographs, Wednesday 1 December, 2:30pm
View the catalogue online here.
