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Belle Bilton; Mary Ansell

2 of 2 portraits of Mary Ansell

© National Portrait Gallery, London

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Belle Bilton; Mary Ansell

by and after Alexander Bassano
bromide print, circa 1902
6 7/8 in. x 9 1/2 in. (175 mm x 242 mm) image size
Photographs Collection
NPG Ax136801

Sittersback to top

Artistback to top

  • Alexander Bassano (1829-1913), Photographer. Artist or producer associated with 2805 portraits, Sitter in 4 portraits.

This portraitback to top

This page from an album marked 'The Property of Alexander Bassano' depicts a number of cabinet cards, showing varying poses, lined up on a wooden frame, along with the sitters' names and sitting numbers, which have then been re-photographed. The sitters in the album are society beauties, popular figures and actresses, such as Belle Bilton (Countess of Clancarty) and Mary Ansell who are pictured here. It is possible that Bassano used this album as a catalogue for the ordering of prints.

Related worksback to top

  • NPG x957: Belle Bilton (appears within the portrait)
  • NPG x958: Belle Bilton (appears within the portrait)
  • NPG x152515: Belle Bilton as Beauty in 'Beauty and the Beast' (appears within the portrait)

Placesback to top

Linked displays and exhibitionsback to top

Events of 1902back to top

Current affairs

Prime Minister Lord Salisbury resigns and is replaced by his nephew, Balfour, who this year introduces the Education Act, which controversially hands control of secondary education from school boards to Local Education Authorities.
Arthur Griffith, leader of the Society of Gaels, introduces a policy of 'Sinn Fein' at a Society meeting in Dublin, which includes passive resistance to the British and the establishment of an Irish ruling council.

Art and science

Joseph Conrad publishes his short story The Heart of Darkness, a powerful critique of European imperialism. Based on his experiences in Africa, the narrative follows Charles Marlow's journey into the Belgian Congo in search of the mysterious trader Kurtz.
In New York, Alfred Stieglitz founds the Photo-Secession movement, a group of US photographers influenced by the Pictoralist movement, seeking recognition of photography as art in its own terms.

International

The first Aswan Dam is opened on the Nile, at the time the world's largest dam. The gravity dam, 1900m long and 54m high, was designed by Sir William Willcocks and built by engineers including Sir John Aird, whose firm John Aird & Company was the main contractor.
The Boer War ends after the Boers accept their loss of independence under the Treaty of Vereeniging, bringing the Boer republics under British control.

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