Untitled [portrait of an unidentified boy acrobat] by Jeremiah Gurney

Untitled [portrait of an unidentified boy acrobat] 1869 - 1874

wedding photograph

photo restoration

wedding photography

archive photography

historical photography

wedding around the world

old-timey

framed image

cultural celebration

19th century

united-states

Jeremiah Gurney, a prominent photographer of the 19th century, captured this portrait of a young boy acrobat in an untitled carte de visite, a popular photographic format of the era. The boy's confident stance, paired with his glittering, decorative costume, suggests a performer ready to take center stage. The image's intimate scale, a hallmark of the carte de visite format, allows viewers to engage with the subject's youthful charm and the subtle details of his attire. The boy's posture, a blend of confidence and playfulness, hints at his acrobatic talents, emphasizing the fleeting moment of performance and the enduring fascination with circus performers in 19th-century society.

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minneapolisinstituteofart about 1 year ago

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An important part of New York City-based photographer Jeremiah Gurney’s business was making small-size portrait photographs. Beginning in the 1850s, cartes de visite (calling cards, or visiting cards) photographs were popular. They were often made with a four-lensed camera, capturing four of the same image at once. They were printed eight on a sheet and each photograph was mounted on a thick cardboard paper sized 2.5 in. by 4 in. Cartes de visite were shared among families and friends, and mostly were stored in photographic albums. However, by the early 1880s, cartes de visite were replaced by larger cartes de imperiale (cabinet card), also albumen prints, mounted on cardboard backs measuring 4.5 in. by 6.5 in. Because of their size, cartes de imperiale would have been visible from across the room. As such, they were often displayed using frames and small stands.