Untitled (three photographs, top, group photograph taken at Pitfour, October 1862; lower left, Lady Mary Filmer; lower right, Lady Filmer with infant, possibly Edmund Beversham Filmer (1862-63)) 1862 - 1888

Curator: This work is an untitled photographic collage by Mary Georgiana Caroline Cecil Filmer. It combines three photographs on a single page. Editor: There's a formality and intimacy coexisting here. The group portrait suggests social structure, but the lower images—the mother, perhaps with her child—offer a softer, more personal perspective. Curator: Indeed. These are more than just portraits; they speak to Victorian ideals of family and class. Lady Filmer’s position as both subject and creator provides insight into the lives of women during this period. Editor: I see symbols of continuity—the family line, the passing down of status. Notice how the framing devices mimic the formality of the era. It’s a visual language of belonging. Curator: Precisely. Filmer uses photography not just to document but to construct a specific narrative around her family and social standing. Editor: It's a fascinating intersection of personal and political identities. A carefully curated presentation of self and lineage. Curator: Absolutely, seeing this through the lens of intersectional identity enriches our understanding of Victorian society. Editor: Agreed. It highlights how symbols, like these posed figures, are used to reinforce power structures.