Carte de Visite

In late Victorian period professional portrait photographs were often produced in the same size as visiting cards (carte de visite) and the two shown here by John Barnard are typical.

The first shows a lady posing on a rural set with a stile which she would have considerable difficulty in getting over in the dress she is wearing. It has an elaborate back and refers to John Barnard's City Portrait Rooms, mentioned in the above advertisement, and is almost certainly the older of the two.

The second, of a young boy, was taken at the Silvio House Studio, and had the photographer's name under the picture, and a simpler back panel with a "J.B." logo.

It is not clear if "Silvio House Studio" represents a move to a new address, but evidence suggests it is from the end of the period. from the end of the period.

Can you identify the people in the picture - or provide dates for other pictures using the same props?

For other examples of carte de visite (CDV) see German? Lady, Hemel Hempstead, circa 1890