Fine Photographs at Dreweatts & Bloomsbury

Dreweatts & Bloomsbury Auctions are pleased to announce their Fine Photographs auction which will take place on 20th October at 2pm at Bloomsbury House, 24 Maddox Street, London W1S 1PP. Estimates range from £500 to £15,000.

Included in the sale and following a hugely successful retrospective at the Victoria & Albert Museum recently, are four photographs by British photographer Julia Margaret Cameron (1815-1879). Cameron, who suffered criticism for her unconventional photography techniques, often produced photographs that were either intentionally out of focus or complete with scratches, smudges and other markers of the development process.  Known for exploring Arthurian and other legendary themes in her photographs, Cameron was also recognised for her portraits of celebrities. Included is a mesmerising portrait of Alfred Lord Tennyson, who was her neighbour on the Isle of Wight. This photograph, given the title Dirty Monk, by Tennyson himself carries an attractive estimate of £1,000 - £1,500 (Lot 24). Other photographs by Cameron for sale include portraits of popular Victorian artist and sculptor George Frederic Watts R.A., (Lot 25, Est: £1,000 - £1,500), her maid Mary Hillier posing as Sappho (Lot 22, Est: £1,500 - £2,000), and her daughter in law Mrs Ewen Hay Cameron as the Turkish character Zuleika whose illicit love for her half-brother ended in tragedy (Lot 23, Est £1,500 - £2,000).

A further highlight is a selection of approximately 535 photographs of views of London. The pictures were taken between 1946 and 1953 for Westminster council by over 50 photographers, bringing to life 1940s and 1950s London through shots of the iconic landmarks that shape the city such as Shaftesbury Avenue, Piccadilly Circus and Leicester Square, amongst others. The photographs offer a fascinating insight into the changes that have taken place in London over the past 50 years. This selection of London Views carries an estimate of £400 - £600 (Lot 51).