Dressed Up and Pasted Down

This dissertation investigates the intersection of two mid-Victorian photographic practices that combined the seemingly truthful medium of photography with imaginary subject matter. The first was the staging in front of the camera of costumed, tableau-like scenes drawn from history and literature. The second was the compilation of photographs into albums, often accompanied by captions or literary quotations, and sometimes incorporated into fanciful watercolor surroundings. The staged photograph and the album both indicate a view of photography that embraces artifice and handwork, rather than insisting on its capacity to mechanically record fact.