Thomas Carlyle

1864–1875

Eleven years of photography

Cameron's career as a photographer lasted from 1864 to 1875: in that time she made more than 900 photographs, portraying great Victorians — Darwin, Tennyson, Browning, Longfellow, Herschel, Watts, Trollope, Carlyle and the actress Ellen Terry. The Virgin Mary in her religious scenes was most often played by her housekeeper, Mary Hillier.

August 1865

The South Kensington Museum buys 80 photographs

In August 1865 the South Kensington Museum (now the Victoria and Albert Museum) bought 80 of her photographs.

November 1865

First solo exhibition

In November 1865 Cameron held her first solo exhibition; her work was shown throughout Europe.

1868

First artist-in-residence of the South Kensington Museum

In 1868 the South Kensington Museum gave her two rooms to use as a portrait studio, making her its first artist-in-residence. By then her prints were being sold by two London agents, P. & D. Colnaghi and William Spooner.

1874–1875

Publishes her own “Idylls of the King”

Unhappy that the small size of her images in Tennyson's edition diminished their significance, Cameron issued, apparently at her own expense, a deluxe edition with twelve full-size photographs, her last large-scale project. Only three of her photographs appeared in Tennyson's book, and her separate album was a commercial failure.

1875

Leaves for Ceylon

Because of her husband's ill-health, the lower cost of living and to be near their sons, who were managing the family coffee plantations, the Camerons left Freshwater for Ceylon — taking a cow, her photographic equipment and two coffins in case such items could not be found in the East. The plan was kept secret even from their closest relatives.