Worthing Photographers / Bristow

 Click here to return to Home Page

Midget Carte Photographs by W. C. Bristow of Worthing

[ABOVE] Fourteen "midget carte" portraits from the studio of W. C. Bristow of South Street, Worthing (c1895)

Midget Carte Photographs

The "Midget Carte" was the smallest format available for commercial portrait photography. The "Midget Carte" format was introduced in the early 1880s, but these tiny photographs did not become widely popular until the 1890s. Measuring 3 inches by 1 5/8 inches, the "midget" portrait was much smaller than the carte-de-visite and was significantly cheaper than the other popular portrait formats.

John H. Blomfield of Hastings was probably the first studio photographer in Sussex to advertise midget cartes. In 1883, Blomfield was offering "the new size, Midget Cartes" at 4s 6d a dozen. This was at a time when cartes-de-visite were sold for anything up to 10s 6d a dozen. In the early 1880s, twelve copies of a cabinet portrait would cost around 20 shillings. By the mid 1890s, the cost of portrait photographs had fallen. In 1894, a typical mid-range Sussex studio charged 10 shillings for a dozen cabinets and 5 shillings for a set of twelve carte-de-visite portraits. The same studio priced the Midget portrait at 3s 6d per dozen.

 

To view examples of the photographic work produced at the studios of W. C. Bristow of Worthing, click on the following links :

Carte-de-visite Photographs by W. C. Bristow of Worthing

Cabinet Photographs by W. C. Bristow of 2 South Street

Cabinet Photographs by W. C. Bristow of 19 Chapel Road

Midget Carte Photographs by W. C. Bristow of Worthing

 

Click on the link below to return to the account of W. C. Bristow's Photographic Studio in Worthing

The Studio of W. C. Bristow

 Click here to return to Home Page