A portrait of naturalist
Charles Darwin in his old age, from the Victorian photography studio
Elliott & Fry. By his final years Darwin's fame had spread far and wide, as had his image—always with his iconic beard—in the form of
carte de visite and
cabinet card photographs. This portrait is from a photography session at Darwin's home,
Down House, in 1879. It is one of the most widely distributed images of Darwin: it was issued by Elliott & Fry on heavy card stock around 1880 and subsequently reproduced on
postcards,
cigarette cards,
commemorative stamps, and other memorabilia.
Photo credit: Elliott & Fry