At the age of 48, Julia Margaret Cameron (1815-1879) received a camera from her daughter and son-in-law as a birthday gift. Little did she and her family suspect that it would mark the beginning of a celebrated artistic career. Quick to gain mastery of the nascent art of photography, Cameron developed into one of its most noteworthy pioneers and innovators. With her hallmark soft-focus lens and dramatic lighting effects, she remains known for her unique portraits of famous men and her romantic, allegorical images of women.

Cameron was born on June 11, 1815 in Calcutta, India. She was the second of seven daughters born to affluent parents who raised their children in India. Her father, James Pattle, was an Englishman who held posts with the financial and judicial departments of the Bengal Civil Service. Her mother, Adeline Pattle (nee de l'Etang), who was of French descent. Cameron was distinguished among her...