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1 Mar 2021

Photos of actresses (and their amazing lives) from the Tenement House

Written by Ana Sanchez De la Vega, Visitor Services Supervisor at the Tenement House
Collage of old photos of women .actresses in various costumes and poses
As a teenager, did you ever collect photographs of your favourite celebrities? Miss Agnes Toward collected many images of her favourite stars.

The women in these images were well-known stars of their time, but they belong to a bygone era and their success is unknown to many of our visitors today. We have looked into their lives and discovered that they were often as dramatic as the plays they acted in.

Collecting ‘cartes de visite’ and, later on, postcards of famous actresses became common from the latter half of the 1800s, when Victorians were fascinated by the development of photography. Actors took advantage of this and used widely produced studio photographs as an opportunity to market themselves.

Miss Toward, who lived at the Tenement House, and her friends used these postcards to exchange information – they were the texts and Facebook messages of their day. By reading them, we can get a better idea about their likes and interests.

Click on the images to learn more about the actresses in the photos.

Black and white photograph of the actress Vesta Tilley, wearing a man's sailor costume. Collage of five black and white photos of actress Cora Caselli in various poses and costumes. Black and white photograph of actress May Fortescue. She is wearing an elaborate costume and headdress, with her head tilted towards the camera. Black and white photograph of actress Evie Greene, wearing a fancy, patterned dress and a hat. She is holding a flower to her face, with one hand on her hip. Black and white photograph of actress Edna May. She is wearing a maid's costume and is holding a tray with a teapot and teacup. Collage of three black and white photographs of actress Marie Studholme in various poses and costumes. Two sides of a postcard. One one side is a picture of the actress Sybil Arundale. The other side has a message written on it and has been sent to Miss Agnes Toward. Black and white photograph of the actress Constance Collier. She is sitting on a chair, with one hand on the arm of the chair and the other cupping her face. Photograph of an actress in a red costume, holding a bunch of flowers. Black and white photograph of the actress Jean Aylwin. She is looking towards the camera and is wearing a hat with two bird feathers in it. Black and white photograph of the actress Elizabeth Firth from 'The Merry Widow'. She is wearing a long pale dress. Black and white photograph of the actress Phyllis Dare. This head shot shows her long hair flowing onto her shoulders and her eyes are closed. Postcard with inset black and white photograph of the actress Mabel Love. The postcard shows several sailing boats on water. Black and white photograph of the actress Gabrielle Ray. She has flowers in her hair. Photograph of the actress Julia Neilson. The photograph has been coloured.

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