Operatic Contralto Annie Louise Cary by Rockwood

Annie Louise Cary (October 22, 1842 – April 3, 1921) American Contralto

In 1866 studied In Milan With Giovanni Corsi Until 1868. 1868 Debut In Italian Opera As A Profundo Contralto In Copenhagen . Further study with Pauline Viardot, And In The Autumn She In Paris, Studying With Giovanni Bottesini, A Conductor And Contra-bassist Made A Contract With Messrs. Maurice And Max Strakosch For Three Years In The United States. London With Henry C. Deacon, And Sang At Drury Lane Theatre. She Made Her First New York Appearance In September 1870 In Concert At Steinway Hall With Nilsson, Vieuxtemps, And Brignoli. Appearing With Carlotta Patti, Mario, Albani, f 1875/76, Visited Moscow And St. Petersburg, Returning To America For The Seasons Of 1877-78 And 1878-79, She Sang In Opera With Clara Louise Kellogg And Marie Rose,, At The Time She Retired, She Was The Most Popular Singer In America

Photographer: George Gardner Rockwood
Dated: 1890's
Subject: Portraits - Opera
Medium: Cabinet Card - Cream
Provenance: Hill House Photography Portraiture
Country/Origin: New York City
Notes & Literature: About the Photographer:

George Gardner Rockwood (April 12, 1832 – July 10, 1911) was a 19th-century portrait photographer. His New York City studio photographed over 350,000 persons.

Rockwood was born in Troy, New York, in 1832. He took up photography in St. Louis in 1853 and in 1858 produced the first carte de visite made in the United States. His first subject was Baron Rothschild. Mrs. August Belmont was the first woman of whom he made a vignette carte de visite. He was an inventor as well as a photographer, and he made a number of improvements to the photographic process.

In 1859, Rockwood moved to New York City and opened a studio at 839 Broadway. In 1878, he moved to a larger studio at 17 Union Square West. His studio quickly became one of the most popular in New York City, and it attracted a wide variety of clientele, including politicians, businessmen, celebrities, and ordinary people.

Rockwood was a master of portrait photography. He was known for his ability to capture his subjects' personalities in his photographs. He also experimented with new techniques, such as flash photography and color photography.

Rockwood continued to work as a photographer until his death in 1911. His studio was closed after his death, but his photographs are still considered to be some of the finest examples of 19th-century portrait photography.

Rockwood's photographs are now held in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the New York Public Library, and the Library of Congress. His work is also included in a number of private collections.

Condition Report Very good.

Subject References: Cabinet Cards, 19th Century, Victorian, Portraits, Portraiture, Photographs, History, Opera, Historical, Photographers 165BX