Lady Mary Filmer (1838-1903) 1862

Editor: Here we have a small photograph titled "Lady Mary Filmer (1838-1903)," created by Mary Georgiana Caroline Cecil Filmer. It's pasted into an album and I find it so delicate and intimate. What can you tell me about it? Curator: This album format suggests a social context, doesn't it? Think about the Victorian era's obsession with collecting and categorizing. How does this intimate portrait, part of a larger collection, reflect the era's construction of identity and memory? Editor: It's like a curated life! Did these albums have a public function? Curator: Precisely! Albums like these weren't just personal; they were often displayed, shaping social standing and reinforcing certain ideals. This image, like others in the album, becomes a statement about class, taste, and social connections. Editor: So, it's more than just a picture; it's a carefully constructed performance! Curator: Exactly! And thinking about the photographer being of the same social circle is also important. It speaks to the network of women in the arts at that time. Editor: I never considered the album itself as part of the art! Thanks for shedding light on that!