Julia Margaret Cameron (1815-1879) began making photographs at the age of 48 when given a large-format wet-plate camera by her daughter, in 1863. Mrs. Cameron lived at the center of Britain’s artistic and intellectual society and counted among her friends (and sitters) Alfred Lord Tennyson, Charles Darwin and Thomas Carlyle.

Left to right: A Beautiful Visson, Julia Duckworth, June 1872; Thomas Carlyle, 1867; Mary Mother, 2867. Couresy Hans P. Kraus, Jr., Sun Pictures.

In a studio at her home on the Isle of Wight she created a body of work that was better understood by artists and the general public. Her portraits infuriated many professional photographers of the day because she placed her own perception of beauty over conventional rules for photographic portraiture. She disdained sharp focus for an air of mystery, which she felt was one of the innate qualities of photography. She had a deep interest in mythology and often dressed her sitters accordingly. In many ways, her photographs are captured performances that she drew out of her sitters, an approach that was unique at the time but now seems contemporary.

Until November 18, a group of over 20 albumen prints are on view at Hans P. Kraus, Jr. Most of these are from the collection of Mrs. Cameron’s niece, Adeline Maria Jackson, which until recently had remained in the family and have never been exhibited. Hans P. Kraus, Jr.,| Sun Pictures, 962 Park Avenue, at 82^nd Street, NY, NY. A beautifully produced catalogue, with text by Larry J. Shaaf, is available.

11142011