[George Augustus Sala] 1860s

This carte de visite photograph of George Augustus Sala was taken by the renowned photographic duo John and Charles Watkins in the 1860s. The image, now housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, captures Sala seated in a formal pose, his attire and the surrounding decor reflecting the refined aesthetic of the Victorian era. The photograph, with its crisp detail and restrained lighting, showcases the artistic mastery of the Watkins brothers in portraiture. This small-scale format, popular in the mid-19th century, allowed for the widespread dissemination of images of prominent individuals like Sala, a renowned journalist and author.