Elliott & Fry (active London, 1863 - 1962)
Henry James, 1884
Albumen print, 14.5 x 10.2 cm (5 11/16 x 4 in.)
This Albumen print of the head and shoulders of a middle-aged light-skinned male, identified as Henry James, is done in shades of yellowish-brown against a light tan background. His head and upper torso are clearly depicted and his body fades into the background. He is turned slightly to our left and he gazes pensively at the viewer. He has brown eyebrows, brown hair with a receding hairline, and a closely cropped beard and moustache. He has light-colored eyes and a large, straight nose. He is dressed in a lapelled suit jacket, a white collared shirt and a dark tie. The following text is printed in red ink along the bottom border: Elliott & Fry 55, Baker Street, London.
Blue Room
Commentary
Like many other celebrities of the nineteenth century, the author Henry James sat for a number of professional photographers and shared these within his social networks. Isabella Stewart Gardner actively collected photographs of her friends and acquaintances, and she displayed many—including this one of a middle-aged James—in cases throughout her museum. James apparently sent Gardner more than one photograph of himself; in a self-deprecating letter from November 1882, he asks whether she would “accept the disagreeable photograph” of him that appeared in a recent national publication.