Portret van Miss Pateman before 1879

Curator: This is a photographic print of Miss Pateman, taken before 1879 by Lock & Whitfield. As you can see, it was created using photography and printed on paper. It appears as an open book. Editor: My initial reaction? There’s a certain softness. Not just in the sepia tones but in the way she’s captured – almost like she’s not fully there, existing on the page. It evokes that hazy memory of a play once seen. Curator: The photographic prints created by Lock & Whitfield served a crucial role in documenting performers during this era. These images would have circulated in magazines and newspapers, offering a visual record of theatrical productions. Consider this an early form of celebrity culture and promotion. Editor: Definitely feels posed but also… a little vulnerable? Maybe that's her gaze. Or the theatricality of the dress; so specific and hinting at another character's personality outside herself. It must have been a wild tightrope for actresses back then – performing in the theatre versus performing for the camera. Curator: Exactly. Portraiture was an active and collaborative process that would involve strategic posing of subjects, carefully selected to reveal an individual's essence. Miss Pateman presents as both a refined member of high society and the image of a skilled dramatic performer. Editor: It’s also wild to think of the context surrounding this image: Who might have handled it, seen it? Did it change the trajectory of her career? These material remnants echo of all this, now trapped between book covers like preserved dreams. Curator: Precisely. Lock & Whitfield’s portraits became powerful tools in the hands of performers, like Miss Pateman. It's fascinating to consider how photography helped democratize fame. This print encapsulates the power of image, in both individual identity and celebrity construction. Editor: I suppose in this context, photography became its own kind of stage—a medium where an actress could rehearse another role: that of an 'image'. And to a modern eye this resonates deeply: what you see on the page is both authentic, but so deeply mediated through performance!