Pauline Markham (1847-1919) 1869 - 1874

This is a stereoscopic albumen print of Pauline Markham, made by Jeremiah Gurney in New York. Stereoscopic photography was all the rage in the mid-19th century. When viewed through a special device, these double images created an illusion of depth, a virtual reality for the Victorian era. The subject, Pauline Markham, was a British actress known for her roles in burlesque shows. These musical comedies were considered risqué and challenged social norms around female performance and sexuality. Gurney’s studio, located on 5th Avenue, catered to a wealthy clientele eager to consume celebrity images as a signifier of cultural capital. This image, made available to us by The Minneapolis Institute of Art, is part of the history of institutionalized art, where museums curate and frame our understanding of the past through objects like this photograph. By consulting archives, theater reviews, and social histories, we can better understand the cultural milieu in which this image was produced and consumed.