19th-Century Family Portrait Album Page
Photograph
This is a vintage photographic album page featuring four portrait photographs arranged in a 2x2 grid. As indicated by handwritten notes on the back of the page, the top row shows Lewis and Mary Latimer, photographed when they were in London in 1882. The bottom photographs show (left) their daughter Emma Jeannette Latimer, aged eighteen months at Christmas 1884, when the family lived in Brooklyn, and (right) the same child, noted as “Jeannette,” at a younger age. The Latimer couple are well-dressed in formal Victorian-era clothing, with Mary Latimer wearing a decorative collar and a floral corsage. Their daughter appears in long white gowns, typical of baby photography from the late 19th to early 20th century. The album page has decorative border details, which were common in 19th-century photography albums.
This type of album page was a popular way to preserve and display family portraits during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The inclusion of both adult and infant photographs suggests that this page was part of a family collection, possibly documenting multiple generations. The formal attire and poses indicate that these portraits were probably taken in professional studios.
Latimer Family Papers (1870-1996 ) [QPL Full Collection]