Julia Margaret Cameron

albumen print, on a gilt-ruled mount, titled in ink, framed, Buhl Collection and Guggenheim Museum exhibition labels on the reverse, 1874 (Cox and Ford 1164)

Steven Kasher Gallery, New York, 1998

New York, Museum, Speaking with Hands: Photographs from The Buhl Collection, June - September 2004, and 4 other international venues through 2007 (see Appendix 1)

Jennifer Blessing, Speaking with Hands: Photographs from The Buhl Collection (Guggenheim Foundation, 2004), pp. 36 and 206 (this print)

Grading this albumen print on a scale of 1 to 10--a 10 being an albumen print with deep brown dark tones and highlights that retain all of their original detail--this print rates an 8 to 9. The print is faintly yellowed, and the details in the highlights of Merlin's beard and hair are somewhat weak. Comparing this photograph to others by Cameron, however, this is a strong print, and the edges of the photograph do not appear faded. In raking light, the folllowing are visible: silvering in the dark periphery of the image; and several very faint surface scratches and scuffs. These do not in any way detract from overall print quality.The front and reverse of the mount are lightly soiled, and exhibit age-appropriate darkening at the periphery. Paper remains from the original binding are present at the left edge and on the reverse. There is offsetting from manuscript ink notations on the reverse of the mount.
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Vivien and Merlin are portrayed by Agnes Mangles and Charles Hay Cameron.  At the suggestion of friend and mentor Alfred Tennyson, in 1875 Cameron produced two photographic volumes to illustrate the poet's popular series of poems, Idylls of the King.