In the London Library on the stairs among the portraits of former
members I noted a photo of Rudyard Kipling as a Vice President at end
of his life, taken evidently in France by Manuel Freres. It is quite
similar to a postcard in the NPG collection by Henri Manuel, sepia
postcard print, catalogued as early 1920s [visble on their website].
A Harvard Library website refers to" Studio portraits of chiefly
French literary figures by commercial photographer G.L. Manuel Freres".
The NPG curator of photos comments " Most photographic studios were
anxious to have photographs of the international figures of the time
and so Manuel Freres presumably invited Kipling to sit for them when
he was visiting France or sent one of their operators to London."
Does anyone know about Kipling being photographed by the Manuels and
why the Library chose this photo to display?
Bryan Diamond
|