Charles Norman 1874

Julia Margaret Cameron made this photograph of Charles Norman, an albumen silver print, during the Victorian era. Cameron, an upper-middle-class woman, took up photography later in life, using her status to create portraits of eminent men. In this image, Norman’s gaze is averted, his expression is gentle, and the soft focus lends him an air of sensitivity, all of which deviates from the stoic masculinity often valorized in the Victorian era. The choice to focus on male intellectuals, artists, and writers, and to capture them with such an intimate softness, allowed Cameron to challenge conventional representations of masculinity. She produced images that offered a counter-narrative of men as thoughtful, feeling individuals. Her lens softens not just the edges of her subjects, but also the rigid social expectations of the time.