by Albert Sands Southworth (1811–1894) and Josiah Johnson Hawes (1808–1901)
of Southworth and Hawes Photography Studio (active 1843–1863)
I know that you're selfish, selfish beyond words, and I know that you haven't the nerve of a rabbit, I know you're a liar and a humbug, I know that you're utterly contemptible. And the tragic part is'--her face was on a sudden distraught with pain--'the tragic part is that notwithstanding I love you with all my heart.
― W. Somerset Maugham, The Painted Veil
All I could think about as I stood there was that sometimes life gave you a tragedy that burned everything you knew to the ground and changed you completely. But somehow, if you really wanted to, you could learn how to hold your breath as you made your way through the smoke left in its wake and you could keep going. And sometimes, sometimes, you could grow something beautiful from the ashes that were left behind. If you were lucky.
― Mariana Zapata, Wait for It
Sources:
[1] Original image from The Met.
[2] The Real Victorian's digitally enhanced version of the photo (seen above), downloadable as a 9” x 12” @ 300 ppi JPEG.
Digitally enhanced reproductions of public domain postcards are shared under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.