Lilliputian Souvenir 1862 - 1863

This photographic collage, called 'Lilliputian Souvenir', was created by Mathew Brady. It consists of portrait photographs mounted on card stock. The arrangement of the photographs creates a formal grid, a visual order reminiscent of scientific classification. This rigid structure is playfully disrupted by the scalloped edges of each photographic print and by the slightly different framing of each scene. The albumen prints use a narrow tonal range. Details emerge through subtle variations in light and shadow. This, coupled with the diminutive size of the figures, creates a sense of distance, almost as if viewing specimens under glass. The title, of course, alludes to Swift's 'Gulliver's Travels,' suggesting that these images offer not just portraits, but a commentary on societal structures. The carefully arranged grid, the subdued tonality, and the reference to Lilliput, come together to create a powerful, if understated, critique of 19th-century social hierarchies, inviting ongoing contemplation.