Mr Ryder (1814-85) as Bolingbroke

Hand coloured photograph of actor John Ryder as Henry Bolingbroke, Duke of Hereford, on his return to England wearing the costume that he appeared in Act 2 scene 3 of 'King Richard II', performed in 1857 at the Princess's Theatre. Ryder wears a black velvet tunic and armour. Three other male actors, a young boy, a man in armour and spear and a man with a crossbow, stand around him. 

In February 1857, Richard II was performed by Kean's company in St George's Hall. Kean then opened the production of Shakespeare's play in March 1857 at the Princess's Theatre in Oxford Street. Queen Victoria and her family visited the theatre to watch the production five times where it made a lasting impression on Princess Victoria, the Queen's eldest daughter. This photograph and other hand coloured photographs of the cast of the play were purchased by Prince Albert for Queen Victoria in 1857 as a Christmas present.