Miss Ellen Terry (Beatrice) before 1890

This photographic print of actress Ellen Terry in costume as Beatrice was produced by Window & Grove. Photography, a relatively new technology at the time, was radically changing the way images were made and circulated. No longer was image production solely reliant on the skilled hand of a painter or printmaker. Photographers utilized industrial processes to capture and reproduce images quickly and at a relatively low cost. This led to a boom in portrait photography, making images of celebrities like Ellen Terry accessible to a wider audience. The print itself is made using chemical processes on paper, resulting in a monochrome image. The level of detail captured speaks to the advancements in photographic technology during this period, and also the high degree of specialization within the photographic studio. The photograph serves as a reminder that new technologies can democratize image-making and consumption, but also create new forms of labor and commodification. By considering the materials and processes involved in its creation, we can better understand its social and cultural significance.