This print is one of many made of a portrait photograph Julia Margaret Cameron took of John FW Herschel in 1867. The portrait, of just his neck and head, shows him white haired and wide eyed.

Julia was a close friend of the Herschels, both had named children after one another (the Herschels named their 6th daughter Julia, Cameron was also godmother to this child; Cameron named her youngest son Henry Herschel). They met in South Africa, corresponded while Julia was in India and met frequently while the Camerons were living in England. When two of John's sons were about to take up posts in India with the East India Company John wrote to Julia's husband Charles for advice and letters of introduction.

As well as this, one of her most famous portraits, Julia also took a number of photographs of the family including a series for the family Christmas cards for the year 1864 showing the daughters and their father as Past (Isabella as Oblivion; Maria and John as Wisdom), Present (Amelia as Industry; Caroline and Francisca as Devotion) and Future (Constance as Hope; Rose and Julia as Patience).