Napoleon Sarony (Quebec, 1821 - 1896, New York)
Ellen Terry, late 19th century
Gelatin silver print, 16.4 x 10.8 cm (6 7/16 x 4 1/4 in.)
In the black and white photograph, a woman stands facing the viewer. Her right hand is on her right hip. She leans against the back of a chair facing the left edge of the photograph. In her left hand she holds an opened fan. She is wearing a white or light colored dress which is long and has long sleeves. The dress has a sash that is tied in a bow at her waist and there are ruffles on the collar. Her skin is white and she looks out at the viewer with a neutral expression. Her hair is curled around her face in a medium tone. She wears a light colored hat that appears to have pleats and a flower on top. The edge of the photograph is trimmed in red ink and at the bottom is the photographers name and address: Sarony, 87 Union Square, New York.
Long Gallery
Commentary
Isabella Stewart Gardner loved music and theater and was a patron of the performing arts. She befriended musicians and actors and memorialized them in the fifteen glass-topped cases she installed in her museum's galleries. Isabella hosted Shakespearean actor Ellen Terry at Fenway Court and displayed this photograph in the Modern Actors Case in the Long Gallery.