Actress seated in straight-backed chair, from the Actresses series (N668)

Art Historical Context

This charming albumen photograph, titled *Actress Seated in Straight-Backed* from the Actresses series (N668), a poised female performer in a simple, elegant pose around 1888. The petite format—measuring just 3 3/4 × 2 1/16 inches—typifies the era's ephemera, printed images designed for easy collection and exchange, much like trading cards. Albumen prints, made by coating paper with egg whites and silver salts, were the gold standard for sharp, detailed photography in the late 19th century, allowing mass production of affordable portraits. Part of The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, this piece reflects the Gilded Age's booming celebrity culture, where actresses embodied glamour and modernity. These series popularized theater stars among everyday collectors, blending portraiture with commercial ephemera in the Drawings and Prints department. The straight-backed chair adds a touch of formality, underscoring the subject's poised professionalism amid the era's theatrical fervor—a snapshot of women claiming public spotlight through performance.