Images Dated 12th May 2009

Arthur Rimbaud, French poet and adventurer, 1870

Arthur Rimbaud, French poet and adventurer, 1870. Rimbaud's (1854-1891) career as a poet was brief but dazzling. He wrote his last poem at the age of 19 and spent the rest of his life as a travelling merchant and trader, largely in Ethiopia. A photograph from Album de Photographies, Dans L'Intimite de Personnages Illustres, 1850-1950, Editions MD, 22 Rue de L'Arcade, Paris 8, 1850-1950

© The Print Collector / Heritage-Images

William Beckford and his speech to King George III, 1770 (1886)

William Beckford and his speech to King George III, 1770 (1886). Beckford (1710-1770) was Lord Mayor of London in 1762-1763 and again in 1769-1770. He made his fortune from sugar plantations worked by slaves in Jamaica. A print from Guildhall of the City of London: Its History and Associations, Corporation of the City of London, 1886

© The Print Collector / Heritage-Images

Francois Fratellini, French circus clown, 1938

Francois Fratellini, French circus clown, 1938. Fratellini (1879-1951) was one of the three Fratellini brothers, who were instrumental in the boom in popularity enjoyed by the circus in France after World War I. A photograph from Album de Photographies, Dans L'Intimite de Personnages Illustres, 1850-1950, Editions MD, 22 Rue de L'Arcade, Paris 8, 1850-1950

© The Print Collector / Heritage-Images