Julia Margaret CameronBritish, 1815–1879Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Can I see it?
Not on view at present
Where is “Henry Wadsworth Longfellow” now? Collection: Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago. Not on view at present. Checked September 29, 2026.
Chicago, United States
It belongs to the collection, but is not on display at present.
- Checked
- In this state since
- Source
- The museum
About the work
For more on the Alfred Stieglitz collection at the Art Institute, along with in-depth object information, please visit the website: The Alfred Stieglitz Collection.
Art Institute of ChicagoCC BY 4.0
Details
- Accession number
- 1949.880
In the catalog
Sources
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Image: Art Institute of Chicago — CC0
In the life of Julia Margaret Cameron
The whole life1864–1875
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.
1865–1866
Awards in Berlin
Her work won awards in Berlin in 1865 and 1866 and an honourable mention in Dublin.
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.
October 1873
Death of her daughter
In October 1873 Cameron's daughter died in childbirth.
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.
