Mary Shaw (contralto)

Mary Shaw
A miniature portrait on ivory of the 20-year-old operatic contralto Mary Shaw Postans (1814–1876). The miniature, attributed to Michele Albanesi (1816–1878), was painted in Naples in March 1834 and dedicated to her future husband, the English painter Alfred Shaw.
miniature portrait on ivory,
20-year-old Mary Shaw Postans
Born
Mary Postans

1814 (1814)
Kent, England
Died9 September 1876 (aged 61–62)
Hadleigh Hall, Suffolk, England
NationalityEnglish
Other namesMary Shaw Postans
EducationRoyal Academy of Music
Occupationclassical contralto
Known forconcerts and opera in England and Italy
Parents
  • Thomas—the Esq. of Tewkesbury (father)
  • Agathe Postans (mother)

Mary Shaw (1814 – 9 September 1876) was an English classical contralto who had an active international career in concerts and operas during the 1830s and 1840s. She is best remembered today for creating the role of Cuniza in the world premiere of Giuseppe Verdi's first opera Oberto at La Scala in 1839.