Mrs. Anne Rigby (née Anne Palgrave, 1777–1872) 1843 - 1847

Editor: This is "Mrs. Anne Rigby," a gelatin-silver print created sometime between 1843 and 1847 by Hill and Adamson. The portrait has such a poised, almost dreamlike quality. What symbols or deeper meanings resonate with you in this early photograph? Curator: It's interesting you mention 'dreamlike'. Early photography, particularly portraits like this, are often imbued with the sitter's aspirations or societal projections. Notice Mrs. Rigby's lace bonnet and delicate collar. What do these visual elements evoke for you? Editor: Class, perhaps, or a certain refined sensibility? The lace seems almost like a halo. Curator: Precisely! It's about status, certainly, but also about portraying an idealized image of womanhood, linking her visually to notions of purity and domestic virtue. The side profile also directs our attention to her inner thoughts; this, alongside the lace, speaks of how cultural memory shaped and continues to shape visual understanding of beauty and virtue. Editor: It’s like the photograph is both an individual likeness and a symbol of her time. But doesn't that ideal seem rather… constricting? Curator: Absolutely. These symbols, while offering status and recognition, also define boundaries. What stories might Mrs. Rigby's direct gaze reveal, unburdened by those visual constraints? It’s the tension between presentation and authentic presence that makes this image so compelling. Editor: I hadn’t considered how much unspoken cultural messaging can be packed into what appears to be a simple portrait. Thank you. Curator: Indeed. Looking through this lens deepens our appreciation and unveils history’s ongoing conversation with the present.