Charlotte Saunders as 'William Tell'

A carte-de-visite portrait of Charlotte Saunders (1825-1899), seen here dressed as William Tell in Francis Talfourd's Tell and the Strike of the Cantons, which ran at the Strand Theatre from 26 December 1859 to the end of March 1860.

Miss Saunders was an extremely well known and popular actress and singer who first appeared in 1833. In the mid-1850s she was with Frederick Robson in Dublin. For many years she was one of the stars at the Strand Theatre. She died on 31 March 1899.

Photographed by Camille Silvy of London in the Spring of 1860.