Julia Margaret CameronBritish, 1815–1879Thomas Carlyle
Can I see it?
Not on view at present
Where is “Thomas Carlyle” now? Collection: The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Not on view at present. Checked September 22, 2026.
New York, United States
It belongs to the collection, but is not on display at present.
- Checked
- Source
- The museum
Details
- Accession number
- 610.1941
In the catalog
Sources
- The Museum of Modern Art
- Image: The Museum of Modern Art — © the artist or rights holder
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
The press derides her “out-of-focus portraits”
In 1865 The Photographic Journal wrote of her “series of out-of-focus portraits of celebrities”, crediting her daring originality at the expense of all other photographic qualities. Critics mocked her soft focus and unretouched prints, though The Illustrated London News saw in them a bold and successful application of the principles of fine art to photography.
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.
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.
