Full length portrait of woman, standing, in Court dress, with a cape and train. Her hair is worn low about the ears and her arms are uncovered. Her left hand is slightly raised, resting on a large cushion which has gold braid edging and gold tassels. She wears a crown, elaborate necklace which matches with her two bracelets, clasps at the top of the sleeves, brooch at the top of the bodice, jewel at the bottom of the bodice, and earrings. Her dress is layered, with a dark over-skirt (probably velvet, and which has panels of gold and gold braid) opening at the front to reveal a white skirt that has a cord with a tassel at each end hanging down the front. The white skirt has gold bands. The over-skirt is very elaborate, with jewels, strings of pearls etc. Hand coloured, gold highlights.
W G Helsby (snr) born Buenos Ayres Argentina 1828, was a photographer in Valaparaiso Chile for many years. This royal portrait may have been taken in South America.
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Full length portrait of woman, standing, in Court dress, with a cape and train. Her hair is worn low about the ears and her arms are uncovered. Her left hand is slightly raised, resting on a large cushion which has gold braid edging and gold tassels. She wears a crown, elaborate necklace which matches with her two bracelets, clasps at the top of the sleeves, brooch at the top of the bodice, jewel at the bottom of the bodice, and earrings. Her dress is layered, with a dark over-skirt (probably velvet, and which has panels of gold and gold braid) opening at the front to reveal a white skirt that has a cord with a tassel at each end hanging down the front. The white skirt has gold bands. The over-skirt is very elaborate, with jewels, strings of pearls etc. Hand coloured, gold highlights.
„Helsby ist einer von drei photographierenden Brüdern, die aus England stammend in der zweiten Hälfte der vierziger Jahre durch Chile, aber auch Bolivien zogen und in Valparaíso und Santiago Studios eröffneten. (William Helsby lässt sich 1846-1858 in Valparaíso und Santiago nachweisen, Thomas Helsby 1853-1863 ebenda und John Helsby 1854-1868 in Valparaíso.) Valparaíso war zu dieser Zeit wichtiger See- und Handelsplatz an der Westküste Südamerikas und Ausgangspunkt reger Schiffsverbindungen nach England. (...) William Gaskell Helsby scheint ein besonders reiselustiger und abenteuersüchtiger Daguerreotypist gewesen zu sein, denn Spuren seiner Tätigkeit finden sich in Argentinien, Peru und auf Tahiti (Sehe: Hernán Rodríguez Villegas: Fotógrafos en Chile Durante el Siglo XIX, Santiago 2002). Von seinen Reisen brachte er fünfzig 1/1 Platten mit Landschaftsaufnahmen von Südamerika nach Liverpool und stellte sie dort einer erstaunten Öffentlichkeit vor.“ Voigt 2004, S. 202.
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