Edward, the Prince of Wales, was only nineteen when he came to the United States and Canada in the fall of 1860, the first member of the British royal family ever to visit North America. Huge celebrations welcomed him wherever he went, and crowds followed him in the streets. In New York, the prince received several parades, a nighttime procession illuminated by "torches, lamps, lanterns, transparencies and other luminosities," and an exclusive ball at the Academy of Music. In Washington, he was President James Buchanan's guest in the White House. The visit prompted a period of warm diplomatic relations between Britain and the United States, which quickly ended with the onset of the Civil War.
When Brady photographed the prince on October 13, 1860, a touching incident showed Brady's talent for establishing ties to all his sitters. Just before the prince left the gallery, Brady introduced him to Stevens, one of his framers, explaining that the old man had once lived in London and was working in Buckingham Palace on the day the prince was born. According to the New York Times, "The Prince seemed greatly pleased, and shook Stevens by the hand."
Prince of Wales
1841 - 1910
Albumen silver print
(carte de visite), 1860
Cliff and Michelle Krainik