Julia Stephen with Vanessa, 1879

Leslie and Julia Stephen’s first child, Vanessa, was born on 30 May 1879, the tenth anniversary of her half-sister Stella’s birthday. According to Leslie Stephen, “Julia suffered a good deal after Vanessa’s birth.” Leslie and Julia had three more children together, including Virginia Woolf. None were christened. “Our own children were to her a pure delight. To see her with a baby on her breast was a revelation, and her love grew with their growth.”

Reproduction of plate 36b from Leslie Stephen’s Photograph Album
Original: albumen print (9.4 x 6.0 cm.)
Mortimer Rare Book Room, Smith College