Portret van Sir Robert Peel c. 1857 - 1862

This photograph of Sir Robert Peel was made by André-Adolphe-Eugène Disdéri, who patented his version of the carte-de-visite in 1854. The carte-de-visite, or visiting card portrait, was a cheap and cheerful form of photography that became incredibly popular in the mid-19th century. It democratized image-making, and offered a portrait at a fraction of the cost of painted miniatures. The process involved a special camera with multiple lenses that could capture several images on a single glass plate negative. This proto-industrial form of photography was a marvel. The result, printed on albumen paper, offered a sharp tonal range. The carte-de-visite became a global craze, fueled by celebrity endorsements. The example here is bound in a book along with other cartes-de-visite. Disdéri became a wealthy man, but he eventually lost his fortune, dying in poverty. His story reminds us that even the most successful innovators are not immune to the fluctuations of taste and the relentless churn of capitalism.