Revealing Photographs, Intimate Spaces: The Aura of Aesthetic Interiors as a Self-portrait

Abstract

ABSTRACTNestled on top of a bluff, Eldon House overlooks the Thames River in London, Ontario, Canada. During the last decade of the nineteenth century Milly Harris (1868–1959), the last resident of the home, carefully arranged souvenirs, bric-a-brac, and natural specimens within her bedroom. Through an idiosyncratic application of Aesthetic principles, Harris cultivated a powerful aura among her collection. The intimate space is further mediated through the act of photography. Harris's roll in the domestic decoration and the precise composition of the images speak to her artistic intentions. An examination of the discursive space surrounding the photograph and album can lead to a more nuanced understanding of the material depicted. Examining representations of the interior in the popular press and amateur domestic scenes contextualizes Harris's work. Additional meaning is accrued by placing her photographs in an album. Susan Stewart's theories about souvenirs and photography, along with Walter Benjamin's concept of object auras work together to articulate a fuller understanding of the domestic interior photographs contained in Milly Harris's album. The materiality of both photographs and nineteenth-century photo albums play a key role in revealing aspects of Harris's personality.