Page 27 - Expanded Photography

Expanded Photography Bob Cotton 27/146
Various photographers: Cartes des Visite - “cartes mania” from 1960s. Charles Dodgson (Lewis Car- roll) 1863 + Princess Helena by JJ Mayall 1861 + James McNeill Whistler (London Stereoscopic) 1875. The fad for having your own photographic visiting card swept through British society in the mid-cen- tury, following André-Adolphe-Eugène Disdéri’s inspired invention of 1854. The idea of having your own carte - the size somewhere like a large business card or larger cigarette card (54mmx89mm) - demonstrated you were a ‘modern’ person - a bit like having an iphone in 2007. Disderi patented the product, promoted it and profited from it. But the Carte was too easy a format to copy, and Disdéri died penniless in a paupers hospital. https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-victorian-brits-obsessed-trading-tiny-photo-portraits
John Jabez Edwin Mayall: Royal Album of Carte de Visite 1862. https://www.rct.uk/collection/2915114/folding-concertina-album-containing-portraits-of-queen-victoria-prince-albert
Andre Disdéri had patented one of the first ‘media-extensions’ of photography in 1854 - introducing
the carte de visite format - a 9x6cm photographic visiting card, that soon became immensely col- lectable, and - like party invitations - were items of prestige and display on the family mantlepiece. Of course royal cartes (cartes of English aristocracy, the royal family and visiting royals from Europe), were highly valued. Queen Victoria herself was a great fan of photography, as was Albert, the Prince Consort, and they collected