Untitled (three photographs, top center, Earl of Fife [from a reproduction]; bottom left, Miss Moncrieff; bottom right, Mrs. Farquharson of Invercauld; verso: twelve names inscribed, unrelated to photographs on recto or facing page) 1862 - 1888

Editor: Here we have an untitled photograph album page by Mary Georgiana Caroline Cecil Filmer. It contains three photographic portraits mounted and decorated with watercolor. What strikes you about this combination of photography and hand-decoration? Curator: I notice that this photograph album page blurs the lines between high art and craft. The labor-intensive hand-coloring and decorative framing elevate these mass-produced photographic portraits. Editor: So, the value comes from the added work? Curator: Exactly. It highlights the consumption of photographic materials within a specific social context. These aristocratic portraits become personalized commodities. It is about class. Editor: That makes me think about the economics of photography at the time. Thank you.