Untitled (five photographs, clockwise from upper left, Lord Berkeley Paget; Mrs. Erskine of Cardels(?) with infant; Alfred de Rothschild, Esq.; full-length portrait of unidentified woman; center, Miss Blanche (?)) 1862 - 1888

Curator: Here we have an album page of five portraits, believed to be by Mary Filmer, though undated. Each photograph is labeled with the name of the sitter. Editor: They seem so constrained, don’t they? The postures, the clothing – everything whispers of a very specific social performance. Curator: Absolutely. The clothing is key. Notice the dark dresses and their heavy skirts. They speak volumes about the social expectations placed upon women during this era. The stiff formality is really representative of Victorian ideals around class and propriety. Editor: And there's a visual language here. Each prop, each pose, seems carefully chosen. Even the framing devices around the photos give symbolic meaning, connecting them to the idea of portraiture as something precious and carefully curated. Curator: Precisely. I appreciate how Filmer documents not just faces, but also the power dynamics inherent in representation. Editor: It makes you wonder about the unseen stories behind these formal facades.