Portret van Ada Cavendish before 1885

This is Herbert Rose Barraud's photographic portrait of Ada Cavendish, printed on paper and bound into a book. Photography in this period involved a complex interplay of chemistry and light. Each print necessitated careful calibration and exposure, a skilled tradition in its own right. The image is one of many such photographs of actors and actresses, circulated at a time when celebrity culture was on the rise, and cheap printmaking enabled mass distribution. Taken specially for a publication called "The Theatre", its purpose was to connect audiences with the actors they admired. In this context, the photograph became a commodity. The success of studios like Barraud's depended on this growing consumer culture. Considering this image through the lens of its making, we are reminded that it is not only a representation of a person, but a product of labor, technology, and a starstruck public. This challenges us to think about photography not just as art, but as a dynamic intersection of culture and commerce.