Untitled (three photographs, clockwise from the top, Countess of Bective, Lady Olivia Taylour; Honorable Lady Filmer; Earl and Countess of Shrewsbury; verso: Sir Edmund Filmer, Bart.) 1862 - 1888

Curator: This page, from an album housed at the Harvard Art Museums, presents photographic portraits by Mary Georgiana Caroline Cecil Filmer. Editor: Immediately, I’m drawn to the textures. The juxtaposition of the sharp details of their faces against the softer, almost blurred rendering of their attire creates an interesting visual rhythm. Curator: Filmer's work gives us access to the social circles of the late 19th century, capturing the likenesses of aristocracy. It reveals a certain performative aspect of societal expectations. Editor: Note how the composition in each separate portrait is carefully constructed, drawing the viewer's eye through line and form. Curator: The photographs function as more than simple portraits; they serve as a lens through which we can understand the values and self-presentation of a particular social class. Editor: Indeed, and with the subdued tones, the images possess a nostalgic quality, evoking a sense of timelessness.