Prince Albert was an early adopter of portrait photography
Portraits of notable people
Queen Victoria and Prince Albert’s photograph collection includes a range of works depicting significant nineteenth-century individuals and personalities, including artists, actors, politicians and musicians. Prince Albert organised a selection of these portraits into albums, including albums entitled Theatrical and Musicians and Artists.
The portraits purchased and collected by Prince Albert and Queen Victoria give a sense of their views and tastes on art, theatre and music and the actors and singers they admired. Through their collecting, it is clear they admired the Swedish opera singer Jenny Lind and the actors Adelaide Ristori (1822-1906) and Thomas Frederick Robson (c. 1822-64).
Jabez Hughes (1819-84)
Photographs. Artists' Portraits. Volume 79.
Prince Albert, Prince Consort (1819-61)
Photographs. Theatrical and Musicians Portraits. Volume 80.
William Edward Kilburn (1818-91)
Jenny Lind (1820-1887)
William Edward Kilburn (1818-91)
Jenny Lind (1820-1887)
Richard Beard (1801-85)
Tyrolese Singers
Unknown Person
Signor Mario (1810-1883)
Martin Laroche (1814-86)
Miss Carlotta Leclercq (1838-93) as Perdita
Unknown Person
Viscount Gough (1779-1869)
John Jabez Edwin Mayall (1813-1901)
Maharaja Duleep Singh (1838-93)
Dr Ernst Becker (1826-88)
Maharaja Dalip Singh of Lahore (1838-93)
Morrison, Robert (fl.1850's)
The Imperial Commissioners Kweilang and Hwarhana Lientsin, China 1858
Leonida Caldesi (1823-91)
Group of nine Siamese Ambassadors
John Jabez Edwin Mayall (1813-1901)
The Siamese Ambassadors, November 1857
Attributed to William Edward Kilburn (1818-91)
General Sir Charles Napier (1782-1853)
Unknown Person
Sir Henry Ellis, Principal Librarian of the British Museum
Unknown Person
John Singleton Copley, 1st Lord Lyndhurst (1772-1863)
John Jabez Edwin Mayall (1813-1901)
John Singleton Copley, 1st Lord Lyndhurst (1772-1863)
William Bambridge (1810-79)
John Holbert Glover (d. 1860)
Mayall : 224 Regent Street, London
Henry Brougham, 1st Baron Brougham and Vaux (1778-1868)
Mayall : 224 Regent Street, London
Edward Smith-Stanley, Earl of Derby (1799-1869)
W & D Downey (active 1855-1941)
Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby (1799-1869)
W & D Downey (active 1855-1941)
Richard Cobden (1804-65)
Dr Ernst Becker (1826-88)
Henry Hardinge, 1st Viscount Hardinge of Lahore (1785-1856)
Leonida Caldesi (1823-91)
Sir Benjamin Hall (1802-67)
Leonida Caldesi (1823-91)
Henry Pelham, 5th Duke of Newcastle (1811-64)
Richard Beard (1801-85)
George Granville Leveson-Gower, 2nd Duke of Sutherland (1786-1861)
In Partnership with
The aims of The Royal Collection Trust are the care and conservation of the Royal Collection, and the promotion of access and enjoyment through exhibitions, publications, loans and educational activities.