Antique Victorian Brass Picture Frame, c1890

A small brass frame with a pierced border and a fold-out easel at the back, made in the last decades of the nineteenth century to stand a carte de visite portrait on a desk or mantel. It came to me still holding the printed mount of Dupont, a Brussels studio that photographed the Belgian court and the diplomatic corps, and I have left it in place. The window is the standard carte de visite size, so it will take one of your own small photographs just as easily.

[d]Dimensions | 6 in. H x 4.75 in. W x 4 in. D

[d]Aperture | 3.5 in. H x 2.25 in. W

[d]Surface | Unpolished, with the tone varying from bright to darker in the recesses of the fretwork

[d]Primary Material | Brass, confirmed non-magnetic

[d]Period | Antique

[d]Date | Circa 1880 to 1900

[d]Origin | England

[d]Style or Movement | Victorian Gothic Revival, pierced fretwork with cross finials and trefoil cut-outs

[d]Also Known As | Easel frame, carte de visite frame

[d]Marks | None to the frame. The card inside is printed in red with a crowned coat of arms, medal roundels, and the wording "Dupont, 67 Rue Neuve 67, Bruxelles"

[d]Construction | Pierced and stamped from flat brass sheet, with a separately applied raised rim around the glazed window and folded tabs at the back holding the glass and card

[d]Secondary Material | Glass, printed card mount

[d]Hardware | Twisted rope-wire easel strut with a scrolled foot, pivoting from a loop at the top, with a wire crossbar that holds the card

[condition]

The frame is in clean condition for its age. All five finials and every bridge of the pierced border are intact, with no bends, cracks, or losses. The brass has not been polished. The tone varies across the face, brighter on the open areas and darker in the cut-outs, with a few small dark spots. The raised rim around the window shows light rubbing. The glass is present and free of chips. The easel strut works as it should and holds the frame steady.

The card inside is a period photographer's mount, not a photograph. The Dupont studio operated at 67 Rue Neuve in Brussels from 1864 to 1886, which is when this card was printed. It is foxed and carries water-tide staining across its lower half, and both are visible through the glass. I have left it in the frame because it is part of the object's story, and it lifts out if you would rather display a picture of your own.

Please review all photographs closely, as they form part of this description.