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Conly Studio

Portrait of Cora Nash, late 1800s

Description

Maker

Conly Studio, Boston, active late 19th century, American

Title

Portrait of Cora Nash

Year

late 1800s

Medium

Albumen print cabinet card

Materials/Techniques

Materials

albumen

Dimensions

Sheet: 14 x 9.8 cm (5 1/2 x 3 7/8 inches)

Signature / Inscription / Marks

Painted along bottom edge recto:Conly Boston Inscribed in pen, upper edge recto:Cora Nash Printed, verso center in scroll with image of studio interior: Conly'sPortraits465 Washington St.

Type

Credit

Gift of John Carpenter

Object Number

1986.148

Exhibition History

Collective Recollection

July 27, 2018 - January 20, 2019

In the second half of the 1800s, standard-sized, mass-produced photographs such as the tintype and cabinet card were introduced. Middle-class and working-class consumers could afford to visit a photography studio and sit for a portrait, buying copies by the dozen to share with friends and family; at the same time, they could purchase portraits of celebrities. Collecting photographs and gathering them in albums became a popular hobby, allowing people to create their own “dream” social networks. People today continue to fill albums with pictures of their loved ones.

Early Exposures

March 13 - July 19, 2015

In this cabinet-card portrait, the sitter, identified as Cora Nash, is bedecked from head to toe with photographic portraits of men, women, and children in small to large sizes. The photographs are strung across her body, shaped into a necklace and medallion, and fit onto a small bag in her hand. Ms. Nash is a walking advertisement for the potential of the photographic medium to capture—and advertise—identity.

Capturing the Light

September 22 - November 12, 1989

Use

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use. This object is in the public domain (CC0 1.0). This object is Portrait of Cora Nash with the accession number of 1986.148. To request high-resolution files or new photography, please send an email to imagerequest@risd.edu and include your name and the object's accession number.

Feedback

We view our online collection as a living documents, and our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you have additional information or have spotted an error, please send feedback to curatorial@risd.edu.