[ Herman Finck, composer. ] Nine black and white photographs of Herman Finck, from his papers, ranging from a carte-de-visite of him as a child in Amsterdam (by Hisgen Brothers), to images of him in theatrical settings (one by Langfier Ltd).

Although Finck was an extremely popular and well-connected figure in British musical and theatre circles, the National Portrait Gallery holds no image of him. The nine black and white photographs range in size from 18.5 x 24.5 cm down to the carte-de-visite, which is 10.5 x 6.5 cm. The collection is in fair overall condition, with some creasing and wear, and the corner of the largest photograph repaired on the reverse with archival tape. The earliest image, of an infant Finck in a sailor suit, leaning against an upholstered chair, is on a carte-de-visite by Hisgen Brothers of Amsterdam ('American Photography'). The largest image is of a bespectacled Finck in old age, seated in his library in a suit, composing a score. The other images are: Finck and two men on theatre seating, in good-natured discussion, one of the men behatted and smoking a pipe, and the other possibly a conductor; Finck in the centre of a large party of individuals, at a dinner in an art gallery; Finck as part of what appears to be the cast of a play, standing in front of a Union Flag, with glasses charged, as a monocled man gives a toast, with stamp on reverse of Central News, London; a serious Finck shaking hands with an individual, with three other men grouped around, with stamp on reverse of the Nottingham Journal; Finck leaning against a piano, in conversation with a pianist, in a room filled with prints, with stamp on reverse of the Weekly Illustrated; and finally two portrait photographs of a serious-looking Finck, apparently taken at the same sitting, one stamped on the reverse by the photograph Langfier Ltd of London. Finck's 'In the Shadows' was one of the last songs played as RMS Titanic went down.