Victorian Visual Culture

In class we discussed the interesting dynamic in the Cullwick-Munby relationship.  Although I appreciate Carol Mavor’s attempt to argue that Hannah had agency, I find her comparison of the photographs of Hannah to those of modern feminist photographers such as Antin and Sherman to be a problematic one.  Although we have Hannah’s diaries, it is difficult for us to uncover her true feelings because she wrote her diaries for Munby to read.  I agree that it is possible that Hannah enjoyed dressing up as different characters, but I do not think that Hannah was attempting to interrogate types in a mocking way as Sherman does in her images.  Perhaps this difference can be attributed to the intended audience of the photographs.  Hannah’s images were intended to be seen by only Munby and herself, and Sherman’s photographs were aimed to a much wider audience.

Figure 1. Untitled #224, 1990 

http://www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk/aipe/cindy_sherman.htm

Figure 2. Cindy Sherman Untitled #193, 1989 

http://www.sfmoma.org/exhib_events/exhibitions/448

Figure 3.  Hannah Cullwick as slave

http://www.clas.ufl.edu/users/agibson10/

Figure 4.  Hannah Cullwick as Magdalene

http://peopleus.blogspot.com/2011_10_01_archive.html

Mavor, Carole.  Pleasures Taken.  Durham: Duke University Press, 1995.