Photographer Napoleon Sarony wholeheartedly embraced the role of debonair eccentric. He adorned the outside of his studio with his name in letters that were several feet high, and he often strolled down Broadway wearing his signature fez and an elaborate uniform of his own making. His outsized personality and ability to convey an atmosphere of immediacy in his images made him New York City’s most heralded and sought-after portrait photographer throughout the second half of the nineteenth century.

A principios de la década de 1860, los estadounidenses coleccionaban e intercambiaban ampliamente las cartes de visite, o “tarjetas de visita”. Las dejaban en las entradas de las casas para anunciar sus visitas, las enviaban por correo y las guardaban en álbumes con ranuras especiales. Aunque el pequeño formato de las tarjetas limitaba su capacidad para transmitir detalles o emociones, su inmediatez visual transmitía una profunda experiencia de conexión.

In the early 1860s, Americans collected and shared cartes de visite, or “calling cards,” widely. They left them in home entryways to announce their visits, sent them through the mail, and saved them in specially slotted albums Although the cards’ small size limited their ability to convey details or emotions, their visual immediacy delivered a deeply felt sense of connection. Unfortunately, within a short time of their introduction, an oversupply of cartes de visite sent the photography market into a financial tailspin.

This exhibition was organized by the Amon Carter Museum of American Art.

Unless otherwise noted, all photos are courtesy of the Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas.

This exhibition was organized by the Amon Carter Museum of American Art.