Cartomania: Photography and Celebrity in the Nineteenth Century

Cartomania was a photographic phenomenon that seized the public imagination in the 1860s, creating a new currency of social intercourse. Paul Frecker's book offers fresh insight into the careers of photographers and their subjects, from reigning queens to visiting sultans, grieving mothers to nefarious criminals.

Format: Hardback
Publication date: 13 June 2024
Publisher: September Publishing

Spectator Cartomania, a photographic phenomenon that captivated the public imagination in the early 1860s, was a captivating glimpse into a vanished world. Small portraits, known as cartes de visite, were exchanged enthusiastically with friends and family, quickly becoming the currency of social interaction. Compiled into albums and proudly displayed in homes, this first explosion of commercial portraiture became a wildly popular craze, particularly when celebrities embraced the new format. Paul Frecker's lavishly illustrated book offers a fresh perspective on the careers of the enterprising individuals who established studios and the lives of those who passed before their cameras. With unparalleled depth of research and evocative prose, he vividly brings to life the photographers and their subjects, from reigning queens and visiting sultans to grieving mothers and nefarious criminals. Whether dressed in their finest attire or in elaborate costumes, cartomania's devotees and their often extraordinary stories are revealed in this captivating view of mid-Victorian society.

ISBN-13: 9781914613623