Julia Margaret Cameron's portraits
The photography pioneer who found her calling at age 48
Alex Q. Arbuckle
1864-1877
Born in Calcutta in 1815, Julia Margaret Cameron spent most of her youth in India, where she married a member of the Law Commission who retired to London in 1848. From there, the family bought an estate on the Isle of Wight, neighboring the home of Alfred Lord Tennyson, the Poet Laureate of Great Britain and Ireland.At the age of 48, Cameron received a present from her daughter: a camera. She enthusiastically dove into the still-new craft of photography.
It may amuse you, Mother, to try to photograph during your solitude at Freshwater. - Note from Cameron's daughter with gift of camera
With an energetic and creative fervor, she quickly mastered the messy and complex wet collodion process, enlisting neighbors, family members and servants as subjects. Cameron captured some of the most enduring images of the Victorian intelligentsia, from Tennyson to Charles Darwin to other writers, poets and scientists. She also posed family and friends as religious or mythic figures, such as angels, Cupids or the baby Jesus.Rather than follow the sharp, toned aesthetic of a typical commercial studio photographer, Cameron pursued her own unique look, capturing images with moody shadows, informal, contemplative poses and even motion blur.Though technically an amateur, Cameron was fastidious in copyrighting, exhibiting and publishing her works. The critical establishment at the time largely panned her work, dismissing it as technically inept and sloppy, while many artists praised its uniquely evocative sense of mystery and spirituality.In her 12 active years, Cameron created some 900 images that would go on to make her one of the most influential and pioneering photographic artists of her time.
From the first moment I handled my lens with a tender ardor, and it has become to me as a living thing, with voice and memory and creative vigor. - Julia Margaret Cameron
Visit Premier Exhibitions at 417 5th Avenue to see the past become present again at "Retronaut's New York." This pop-up exhibition of extraordinary, digitally restored photographs captures New York City at the turn of the 20th century. It's only open until May 15, so be sure to get down there before it’s gone.