Party on steps of wagonette

Images 7 & 8: This pair of photographs [negatives?] showcases some of the varied subjects Austen recorded with her camera. Both capture aspects of her private life, though in very different ways. The outdoor grouping of friends is a reminder of the relative versatility and portability of Austen’s photographic equipment, and how she routinely carried her camera with her to outdoor locales, while the interior view reinforces the intimacy of many of her extant works. Austen’s shadow, apparent in the exterior scene, inserts the artist into the photograph, subtly reminding the viewer of her presence, as does our privileged glimpse of the personal objects in her bedroom.

Text by: Sarah Kate Gillespie, Curator of American Art, Georgia Museum of Art, University of Georgia