Untitled (scene in courtyard, Viscountess Jocelyn; Lady Victoria Ashley; Viscount Jocelyn; Hon. Alice & Fred Jocelyn) 1862 - 1888

Curator: This captivating carte-de-visite, part of an album, depicts a courtyard scene featuring the Viscountess Jocelyn and her family. It's attributed to Mary Georgiana Caroline Cecil Filmer. Editor: It has an air of staged intimacy, doesn't it? A glimpse into the leisure of the aristocracy, carefully composed. Curator: Indeed. Consider the materiality of the photograph itself, and how albums like this served as tools for crafting and circulating a specific social image. The albumen print process was central to Victorian photographic practices, creating sharp images with subtle tonal gradations. Editor: And the poses, the arrangement of the figures – it speaks volumes about their social standing, the roles women occupied within the family structure, and the act of display in a society obsessed with appearances. Curator: Absolutely. The very act of commissioning and compiling this album positions Lady Filmer and her subjects within the Victorian culture of collecting and self-representation. Editor: Thinking about the social narratives contained in this image, I'm left wondering about the stories behind each of these carefully positioned figures.