Sibling Portrait of Young Boy and Girl with Wicker Studio Chair

Photograph

-

The Recorded Image Project

Name/Title

Sibling Portrait of Young Boy and Girl with Wicker Studio Chair

Entry/Object ID

RE-PH-2026-0112

Description

Studio portrait of two young siblings posed with ornate wicker chair furniture.

Photograph Details

Type of Photograph

Albumen Print

Category

child, Late Victorian

Made/Created

Studio

Unknown

Date made

circa 1888 - circa 1898

Place

Continent

North America

Notes

Photographic Style Notes Victorian studios frequently used ornate wicker furniture to create visually rich compositions. The combination of heavy textures, layered garments, and careful posing emphasized both status and sentimentality. Children were often dressed in their finest clothing regardless of everyday practicality.

Ethnography

Notes

American; late Victorian childhood portraiture reflecting middle-class domestic identity and formal studio presentation conventions.

Condition

Overall Condition

Fair

Date Examined

Mar 9, 2026

Notes

• Mount heavily worn and rounded at corners • Surface abrasions and discoloration • Light staining and tonal fading • Image detail remains legible

General Notes

Note Type

Description

Note

This cabinet card portrait presents two young siblings posed with an elaborate wicker studio chair, a prop widely used in late Victorian photography. Their formal clothing, careful posture, and intimate grouping reflect the era’s sentimental approach to childhood portraiture. Such photographs served as treasured family keepsakes and symbols of domestic stability and refinement.

Create Date

March 10, 2026