Poor Woman by John Thomson
Helmut Gernsheim (1913-1995)
Category
Photographs
Date
1970
Materials
Silver gelatin, Silver bromide, Paper, Card
Measurements
500 x 400 x 2 mm
Collection
Fox Talbot Museum, Wiltshire
NT 1522861.10
Summary
A large mounted reproduction monochrome silver gelatine bromide photographic print of Poor Woman by John Thomson (1876), a Woodburytype print, with original image size 120 x 90 mm. The portrait format image depicts a poor woman seated on a doorstep, tending a baby. This is one of a series by Thomson which was the first social photo-documentation and was entitled "Street Life in London" (pub. 1877). The series is of particular historical value because Thomson photographed his subjects in their natural street surroundings and not posed in his studio. The accompanying text explains that this woman tended the babies of working class woman and received payment in kind such as a cup of tea made from used tea-leaves, and some stale bread. The surface and colour of modern gelatine bromide papers were matched to closely resemble the colour and surface texture of the 19th century original. This enlargement is made from a copy negative taken from the original print. Markings Recto: Printed in black ink on the mount centred below the image: "John Thomson: Poor Woman 1876" Handwritten in pencil on the mount bottom left below the image: 24/100 Markings Verso: Printed in black ink centred on the verso of the mount: "Copyright the Gernsheim Collection University of Texas and Photo-Graphic Editions, London. Any unauthorised reproduction is prohibited. Part of a limited edition (24/100) set of 10 reproduction Victorian prints, entitled "Photo-Classics 1, Victorian Photography", produced by the Gernsheim Collection, University of Texas and Photo-Graphic Editions Ltd, London.
Makers and roles
Helmut Gernsheim (1913-1995), publisher