Helmut Gernsheim

"Julia Margaret Cameron (1815-79) was one of the most important and innovative photographers of the nineteenth century. Best known for her powerful portraits, she also posed her sitters - friends, family and servants - as characters from biblical, historical or allegorical stories. Her photographs were rule breaking: intentionally out-of-focus, and often included scratches, smudges and other traces of her process. In her lifetime, Cameron was criticised for her unconventional techniques, but also widely celebrated for the beauty of her comopositions and her conviction that photography was an art form. This book draws upon the Victoria and Albert Museum's collection of Cameron's photographs and correspondence to shed light on previously unacknowledged aspects of her experimental approach."