The collection consists of carte de visite studio portraits of entertainers, actors, and actresses who performed on the American stage in the mid- to late 1800s. Many of these actors and actresses were little known outside of the major theater centers of New York City, Philadelphia, and Boston. Such was the popularity of the theater, though, that even good "utility" performers could justify having these photographs made. Carte de visite photographs, which were mounted on 2 ½- by 4-inch card stock (about the size of a calling card), could be produced cheaply, and sold to collectors and fans.

A Parisian photographer, André Disdéri, developed the carte de visite format in 1854. He patented a process of taking several photographs on one glass plate negative, thus greatly reducing production costs. The carte de visite did not catch on until May 1859, when Napoleon III, on his way to Italy with his army, stopped at Disdéri's studio in Paris to have his portrait taken. From this welcome publicity Disdéri's fame began, and two years later he was said to be earning nearly £50,000 a year from one studio alone. During the 1860s the popularity of these cards became immense, with the public exchanging them and collecting them in albums. The card trade flourished as performers realized the publicity value of the collectible carte de visite. During the 1870s through the1880s when the trend reached its peak, millions were sold in the United States.

The Actors and Actresses: Well into the mid-nineteenth century, American theaters continued to be strongly influenced by London theater. Many actors and actresses of this period were born in and got their professional start in England. Play selections tended to follow the English classical tradition, with the works of Shakespeare and his contemporaries remaining popular. However, the success of American-born playwrights and actors began to have an influence, and soon contemporary plays were performed regularly as well.

Prior to the 1850s, a theater bill might include five or six hours of various entertainments, such as farces, a mainpiece, an afterpiece, musical entertainment, and ballet. Music was an important component of early American theater, and plays were often adapted to included musical numbers. In the 1850s, the number of entertainments on a theater bill began to be reduced, first to two or three, and later, to one main feature only. From the mid-nineteenth century, a more naturalistic acting style came into vogue, and actors were expected to present a more coherent expression of character. Subject matter of new plays was often drawn from contemporary social life, such as marriage and domestic issues, as well as issues of social class and social problems. Another favorite form in nineteenth-century theater was the burlesque, also called travesty, with the works of Shakespeare providing a favorite target for satire. Many actors were known primarily for their comedic and burlesque acting talents.

In the eighteenth century and early nineteenth century, the acting profession was considered sinful and actors were subject to social ostracism. However, by the mid-nineteenth century, actors could be considered quite socially respectable. The life of performers during this period was very hard, requiring great physical stamina. In addition to a grueling performance schedule, actors needed to withstand stagecoach and early riverboat travel, as well as makeshift lodgings. Actors would often rehearse as many as three plays during a day before preparing for the night's performance. By the Civil War, the season was varied and demanding, sometimes consisting of 40 to 130 plays, changing nightly. Utility actors in a company might be expected to know over a hundred parts. The famous actress Charlotte Cushman, for example, offered two hundred different lead roles. Actors were usually expected to learn a new part within two days, sometimes overnight.

Women's roles in theater were rather ambiguous, especially in the nineteenth century. The traditions of the time required women to be delicate, fragile, and dependent, while the rigors of the acting profession necessitated resiliency, independence, and a strong will. According to historian Mary M. Turner, in Forgotten Leading Ladies of the American Theatre (McFarland, 1990), females experienced the same rough treatment faced by their male peers: "Because the theatre has been remarkably free-thinking, women in the profession have always been relatively equal to their male colleagues. Bad managers have absconded with their salaries equally; audiences booed them equally; they starved equally between engagements; and their contributions to the traditions of the theatre have been equally forgotten."

The Photographers: Several photographers and photography studios achieved a certain status of their own in the theater industry. Among the most famous was Napoleon Sarony, who established a studio on Broadway in 1866 and, for the next 30 years, photographed virtually every actor and actress working on the New York stage. Other well known photographers and studios of this era were Charles D. Fredricks & Co. and Jeremiah Gurney of New York; W.L. (Washington Lafayette) Germon of Philadelphia; and Mathew Brady of the E. & H.T. Anthony Studio in New York.