Albumen print

These two photographs (I-28756.0.1 and I-31290.0.1), dated respectively to 1867 and 1868, have been the object of much speculation.

In the records kept by the William Notman studio they are both accompanied by the note “Copy Mrs. Farquharson.” This suggests that they may either have been copies made for Mrs. Farquharson or copies of pictures of Mrs. Farquharson.

During the 1960s, having observed that nannies were often photographed with the children of the families that employed them, the Museum’s archivists added the prefix “Nurse and baby” to the 1868 photograph. However, exhaustive discussions with members of the Museum’s Curatorial and Collections Management teams have raised doubts as to whether or not the woman pictured was in fact a nanny.

At this period, the William Notman studio offered the service of reproducing an existing image taken by another studio. These reproductions, labelled “Copy” or “Copy for,” were often made after the sitter had died, as a souvenir for the family. In this case, the absence of the word “for” makes it impossible to be certain whether the woman pictured was Mrs. Farquharson, someone employed by the family or a family member.

I felt it important to bear public witness to these questions, since they reflect the reality of the archives – a reality that is fluctuating, complex and full of blind spots.