Eva Barrett Photographic Collection of European Nobility

CREATED BY
Eva Barrett (1879-1950)

DATE
1920-1930

RESOURCES TYPE
Photographic material

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES
After an unsuccessful period as a painter in Hertfordshire, the English-born Eva Barrett (1879–1950) moved to Rome in 1913. There, she decided to establish her career as a photographer, believing that it was better to be a first-rate photographer than a second-rate artist.
In Rome, she developed a distinctive photographic style, producing portraits reminiscent of artistic sketches. Using a small half-plate camera, Barrett photographed the wives and children of foreign ambassadors, which led to numerous commissions from European royalty in Belgium, Sweden, and Greece. Her success culminated in a prestigious commission to photograph the Italian Royal Family, after which she continued to work extensively for European aristocracy across Belgium, Sweden, Greece, and Italy.
Barrett’s career intersected with that of Ottavia Vitagliano (1894–1975), who assumed control of the Vitagliano publishing empire following her husband Nino’s death in 1933. Vitagliano employed Barrett and Carell as photographers for Eva, a weekly magazine for Italian women, for which they produced several magazine covers.

SCOPE AND CONTENT
The Eva Barrett Photographic Collection of European Nobility consists of portrait photographs depicting members of European aristocracy and royal families, primarily from Belgium, Sweden, Greece, and Italy. The images reflect Barrett’s distinctive photographic style, characterized by soft focus and sketch-like qualities, and document elite social and diplomatic networks in Europe during the interwar period.

EXTENT
20 platinum print photographs

CUSTODIAL HISTORY
This selection of vintage prints made by Eva Barrett was donated to the AAR Library in June 2025