About Me

A truly enigmatic, yet inexplicably compelling image!

My name is Paul and I suffer from a Victorian throwback condition called Cartomania. It was first recognized, described and named in the early 1860s and may be defined as; the obsessive desire or compulsion to collect or amass cartes de visite (CDVs). Although by definition a monomania, it is more broadly interpreted today than when first coined, prior to the multiplicity of formats that followed. Whilst there remain collectors that specialize in cartes exclusively, in my case the affliction is characterized by eclecticism: I collect early photographs in a variety of formats. That said, my first love will always be the carte de visite.

My collection embraces many subjects and genres, but the primary themes that interest me include: women's fashions of the 1860s, British artists & sculptors and notable Victorians. In common with most other enthusiasts, however, I also have a tendency to cherry-pick images that appeal to me either on an emotional or subliminal level. The photograph shown above right is one such picture that, for reasons I still can't fathom, was a 'must have' for my collection. The sole qualifying criterion to join my collection is that a picture must speak to me, but not in tongues as I only collect examples from English speaking countries.

In addition, I have gathered an interesting selection of Isle of Wight stereoviews and CDVs dating from the 1850s & 60s. By contrast, Daguerreotypes, Ambrotypes, Cabinet Cards and Tintypes are strangely mute; whilst I have examples of each and bear them no ill-will, they are formats that generally leave me cold.

Although primarily a collector, I do sell photographs that are surplus to my requirements. This has two major benefits; firstly, it helps finance new acquisitions for my collection and secondly, prevents me suffocating under the sheer volume of old photographs that collectors inevitably accumulate.

A final note: all the photographs appearing in this blog are either currently in my collection or have at some time been in my possession, unless stated otherwise. Each of the images to which I hold the copyright are 'water-marked', but may be used freely elsewhere for non-commercial purposes. Please remember to credit me with a reference and a link back to the VictorianShadows blog.


Many thanks!