Royals, Royalties and Remuneration: American and British women photographers in the Victorian era

During the Victorian era, American and British women from divergent social backgrounds and circumstances took up photography. For English noblewomen photography became a popular leisure pursuit promoted by the Court. Lacking a counterpart to royal patronage, American women ran commercial studios independently or in partnerships with family members. By the 1880s, with easier to use processes and equipment, women on both sides of the Atlantic entered the field as amateur art photographers participating in photographic societies and exhibitions. Contrasting the experiences and strategies of these transatlantic pioneers, this article demonstrates the accomplishments they attained in the public sphere.