Photograph
Category
Photographs
Date
1860
Materials
Glass, Paper
Measurements
92 x 82 mm
Order this imageCollection
Ardress House, County Armagh
NT 247668
Caption
Warmed by a hint of colour and an air of romance, Charles Ensor (1810–75) and Katherine Ensor, née Madden (1816–97), were photographed side by side, his arm gently resting around her shoulder. Kate, as she was known, had been instructed by the studio photographer to place her hand in clear view. Attention would then be drawn to the hand[1]tinted gold paint later applied to the ring on her finger in the finished photograph. The process of making a wet collodion positive, often called an ambrotype, usually resulted in the positive image being reversed. This explains why the wedding ring here appears to be on Kate’s right hand. Touches of gold were also applied to a brooch at the neckline of her dress and the watch-chain that Charles wears. Golden touch The couple married in 1838 and had a son, Charles E. Ensor, in 1841. They would have been in their mid-to-late forties when they posed for this personal memento. While they never lived at Ardress House themselves, they were the grandparents of Charles Howard Ensor (1878– 1963), who later inherited the 17th-century farmhouse and brought this family photograph with him.
Summary
Double portrait ambrotype (collodion positive) photograph of Charles Ensor (1810-75) and Katherine Ensor, nee Maddon, (1816-97) seated, facing the camera. Her wedding ring, brooch at neckline and his pocket watch chain are touched in with gold paint. Kate wears a dress with large check pattern, lace collar and cuffs. C. 1860, unknown photographer.
Marks and inscriptions
D : 9 mm