Women of Influence: The Pattle Sisters

Discover the untold story of seven remarkable sisters whose influence rippled through the worlds of art, literature, photography, and society in the 19th-century.

Nicknamed “Pattledom” by the writer William Makepeace Thackeray (1811–1863), the sisters’ world was one of rich cross-cultural exchange, where Anglo-Indian heritage, European influence, and artistic experimentation converged in a vibrant social sphere that defied Victorian convention.

Whilst the photographer Julia Margaret Cameron (1815–1879) is today the most celebrated of the sisters, this exhibition uncovers their collective impact.

Through rarely seen portraits, evocative photographs, treasured possessions, and new research, discover how their influence extended from Calcutta, India (now Kolkata) to Kensington, and from the salons of Little Holland House to the Bloomsbury Group.