I still feel like I have no idea how to run this business. My sisters aren’t helping me whatsoever and I am forced to do it all by myself. I know that we need to be bringing in more customers in order to make enough money to keep the apartment, but I am feeling so overwhelmed right now. I found this article as I was flipping through the newspaper and felt that I could take away some great things for the business. Starting a new business is overwhelming, to begin with, especially when you do not have the skills to make money. I want to impress Lord Watergate with my abilities in order to gain more customers. I know that I am the most comfortable with photography as opposed to my sisters. I hope that they take a second to read this article as well.
Since the weather in London tends to be cloudy it is important that my sisters and I are able to make the best out of the lighting. I had no clue about the difference between photographing colors and printing colors. It is relieving that I do not have to worry about the color scheme of my photos. I am so happy that this article mentioned what I should say to my clients in order to take the best photos. With the skill of retouching photos being incredibly new, I am worried because my sisters and I do not have the time nor the means by which to do this. I hope to find more articles like this that are able to give me tips on how to become a better photographer.
Editor Commentary: Running a photography business, or any business for that matter, did not fall under the duties of a woman in Victorian-era Britain. It is incredible that Gertrude was brave enough to break through these norms despite the backlash that she inevitably faced from others in society. Wages and gender roles placed on women during this time were unfair and severely confined then from being successful as Gertrude writes.
Although Gertrude and her sisters had to overcome many hardships in order to make a profit from the business, they faced their issues head-on and were determined to break through and gain success. By finding this article, it shows that Gertrude was focused on finding different photography tips used in Victorian-era Britain that would allow her business to be as popular as a man’s. Gertrude seems to be running the entire business on her own since her sisters will not help. Had Gertrude not found this article in the newspaper, it is highly likely that her business would have crashed and had little success due to the minimal knowledge of photography acquired. Gertrude was able to gain new knowledge about aspects of photography that had never crossed her mind before as well as planting the seed for her sisters to learn more.
Another fascinating aspect of the article is the focus on Richard Beard’s patent on the Daguerreotype process of photography. It is important that Gertrude focuses on each aspect of this process in order to gain customers and be respected by her male counterparts.
Citation: Wright, Colin. “Advertisement for the Royal Academy Studios of Photographer, W Mountain.” THE BRITISH LIBRARY, The British Library, 13 Sept. 2008, www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/onlineex/evancoll/a/014eva000000000u06482000.ht….