Emily Faithfull
- Artist: Leonida Caldesi
- Date: circa 1860
- Medium: albumen carte-de-visite
- Dimensions: 3 3/8 in. x 2 1/4 in. (87 mm x 57 mm) image size
- Portrays: Emily Faithfull
- Museum: The National Portrait Gallery
- Collection record: The National Portrait Gallery website
Listen to the free audio guide
About this artwork
This albumen carte‑de‑visite, dated 1860, captures Emily Faithfull in crisp black‑and‑white. Look at her poised quill resting on the desk—she’s ready to write. Notice how light falls across her face, revealing her focused expression. The image is small, just 87 mm by 57 mm, yet every line of skin and hair is rendered with precision. Leonida Caldesi, a photographer who produced more than fifty portraits, captured this moment on carte‑de‑visite paper, the medium popular for quick, portable likenesses. Faithfull was an early publisher and women’s activist. She founded The Victoria Press in 1860, the first woman‑run printing house in the UK, and later became Publisher to Queen Victoria. This card shows her in front view, looking straight into the camera—engaging with us across time.
See it in person
Emily Faithfull is in the collection of The National Portrait Gallery at St Martin's Place, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
