Drawing

Edith Mary Paget likely started her photo album shortly after the birth of her only child, Ada, who features in various montages representing the piety of Victorian motherhood. Paget’s family were part of Britian’s social elite, and many of her album pages are filled with cut and pasted cartes-de-visite of notable individuals from the aristocracy and military. Unlike other ‘organized’ albums, Paget’s is more akin to a scrapbook, her creative approach drawing on a range of media and presenting several images together on the same page. Her witty, satirical compositions often allude to flirtatious behaviour, such as Captain Gibson attempting to catch Mrs Adderley in a butterfly net. Paget’s self-image – she was a renowned beauty – can often be seen in the centre of the action.