Two Ladies
Unknown photographer
Category
Photographs
Date
1875 - 1880
Materials
Paper, glass and gilt metal
Measurements
70 x 56 mm
Order this imageCollection
Attingham Park, Shropshire
NT 609159
Caption
This photograph evidently held great sentimental value for Edith Teresa Noel-Hill, née Hulton (1890–1972), Lady Berwick. Raised in Venice and hailing from an artistic English Italian family, she brought photographic albums and keepsakes of her family overseas to Attingham. The ferrotype, commonly known as a tintype, gained popularity towards the end of the 19th century. Deducing from this and the style of dress, we can date the photograph to around 1875– 80. The seated woman may be Linda Mazini (1836–1915), Hulton’s maternal grandmother. The whimsical painted backdrop is typical of this period, although studios frequently used physical props too, such as real vases of flowers rather than the one depicted here. Even without colour, the outfits, including matching floral corsages, emphasise the elegance of the sitters. The presence of the dog, perhaps a beloved pet, may have further endeared the photograph to Hulton, who was devoted to her own dogs.
Summary
A ferrotype (tintype) studio portrait of two unidentified women by an unknown photographer. The seated woman is possibly Linda Mazini, Lady Berwick's maternal grandmother. She holds a small dog on her lap. The women are posed in front of a painted backdrop including a painted vase of flowers. The photograph is held within a gilt pinch frame.
Provenance
Attingham collection; bequeathed to the National Trust with the estate, house and contents of Attingham by Thomas Henry Noel-Hill, 8th Baron Berwick (1877-1947) on 15th May 1953.
Makers and roles
Unknown photographer , photographer Roy Coles, manufacturer