Photographs from the Lafayette Studios

Society ladies, Indian maharajas, actresses and young men with their new cars were some of the subjects photographed by James Lafayette in the late 19th and early 20th century. This database contains over 600 portraits produced by his studios and was developed over 10 years by Russell Harris, with generous funding from the Elm Trust, who generously donated it to the V&A.

You can search the site using the categories on the left. There is also the option at the top of the page of a more detailed search by date, photographer or sitter. Copies of the images can be purchased from our Picture Library.