4 cabinet photographs on cardstock mounts. Mount rectos and versos with Sarony's New York imprint. A caricature of Sarony is signed by the photographer, "Sarony," and inscribed "for Mr. Blood."

Born in Quebec in 1821, Sarony moved to New York at the age of 15 to work as a lithographer for Nathaniel Currier, holding this position until 1843 when he established his own lithography firm. In 1867, Sarony opened a photography studio in New York at a time when celebrity portraiture was highly popular. Sarony, known for his colorful and eccentric personality, quickly became the preeminent photographer of his day, producing portraits of virtually every star of the New York stage, including Sarah Bernhardt, the actress he reportedly paid $1500 to pose for his camera. Among the thousands of people that came through Sarony's studio were many other distinguished, high-profile figures including Civil War General, W.T. Sherman, and writers such as Mark Twain and Oscar Wilde.