Husband and Wife (c. 1860–65): Art, History and Details

Husband and Wife (c. 1860–65) is in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection.

The work and its context

The museum's open-access catalogue describes the work:

You rarely see a smiling portrait from the mid-19th century. Having your photograph taken was a serious and rare endeavor, plus it was difficult to hold any animated expression long enough for the exposure times required by the early processes. Sitters were instructed to find ways to keep from moving, such as clasping their hands. The woman here has taken the photographers’ cautions to an extreme, resulting in a tense and unflattering portrait.

Object facts

• Title: Husband and Wife
• Date: c. 1860–65
• Culture: America
• Type: Photograph
• Technique: Two ambrotypes with hand-tinting
• Dimensions: Overall: 2.3 x 11.8 cm (7/8 x 4 5/8 in.)
• Collection: PH - American 19th Century
• Department: Photography
• Accession number: 2022.11

A detail from the museum

In the early decades of photography, many people did not know how to pose for the camera.

Collection credit

Hershey Family Art Purchase Fund

View the collection record

See the museum's photographs and full catalogue entry. Catalogue text is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art's open-access data, with HTML formatting removed. This object and its supplied image are designated CC0.