Charles Daly (aged 16) as Romeo

From an album of theatrical carte-de-visite portraits compiled by the actor (later actor-manager) Charles Daly. An inked inscription on the album page reads: 'Charles Daly (aged 16) / Romeo.'

Daly included nearly twenty of his own portraits when compiling the album. Born in Soho on 14 January 1846, the sitter was quite possibly only 16 years old when he organised this series of portraits.

Although each portrait is titled in ink on the album page, it is not always easy to pinpoint the exact production. Indeed, in several cases it is not even clear if the inscription refers to a production at all, or even if the inscriptions can be taken at face value. Are these all productions in which Daly actually appeared, or has he merely dressed up as characters from popular contemporary productions simply for this visit to the photographer's studio? The fact that the portraits were all taken by the same photographer around the same time, possibly even on the same day, would suggest the latter explanation is the true one.

Photographed by John Hubbard of 1 Oxford Street, London.