Rejlander Introduces Rejlander the Volunteer thumbnail 1
Request to view

This object can be requested via email from the Prints & Drawings Study Room

Image of Gallery in South Kensington

Rejlander Introduces Rejlander the Volunteer

Photograph
c. 1871 (photographed)
Artist/Maker
Rejlander, Oscar Gustav (photographer)

Albumen print of Rejlander appearing twice in the same image. In this humorous composite print Rejlander combines two photographs of himself. Dressed as an artist Rejlander is painting himself, dressed as a volunteer soldier. A trained artist, Rejlander learnt photography as an aid to painting, latter developing a technique of combining negatives to produce a single print. He was also a volunteer soldier, joining the 1st Wolverhampton Volunteer Company in 1860. An excellent shot, he won prizes for his marksmanship.

Object details

Categories
Photographs
The Royal Photographic Society
Portraits
Object type
Photograph
Titles
  • Rejlander Introduces Rejlander the Volunteer (generic title)
  • The Artist Introduces the Volunteer (alternative title)
Materials and techniques
Albumen print in a card mount.
Photographic Paper
Albumen Process
Photography
Brief description
Photograph by Oscar Gustav Rejlander, 'Rejlander Introduces Rejlander the Volunteer', albumen print, c. 1871
Physical description
Albumen print of Rejlander appearing twice in the same image. In this humorous composite print Rejlander combines two photographs of himself. Dressed as an artist Rejlander is painting himself, dressed as a volunteer soldier. A trained artist, Rejlander learnt photography as an aid to painting, latter developing a technique of combining negatives to produce a single print. He was also a volunteer soldier, joining the 1st Wolverhampton Volunteer Company in 1860. An excellent shot, he won prizes for his marksmanship.
Dimensions
  • Image height: 181mm
  • Image width: 140mm
Gallery label
Making It Up: Photographic Fictions (2018)
Marta Weiss

Rejlander enacted numerous roles in front of his own camera. Here, thanks to darkroom trickery, he plays two at once: that of the artist, and that of the volunteer soldier. The picture playfully demonstrates the multiple capabilities of photography as a seemingly authoritative documentary tool and as a means of conjuring the imaginary.
Credit line
The Royal Photographic Society Collection at the V&A, acquired with the generous assistance of the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Art Fund.
Associated object
PROV.2513-2017 (RPS Group record)
Other numbers
  • XRP1505 - RPS collection - V&A identifier
  • R5 - RPS identifier - artist name
  • 5105 - RPS identifier - inventory no.
  • 2003-5001/2/20193 - Science Museum Group accession number
Collection
Department of Photography
Accession number
RPS.1376-2017

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdMay 26, 2017
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1394103/rejlander-introduces-rejlander-the-volunteer-photograph-rejlander-oscar-gustav/
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest