Anna Bishop (1810-1884) and Louisa Bishop

Anna Riviere Bishop (right) was a soprano, born in England. She married her teacher, the composer Henry Bishop, in 1831. Anna Bishop became acquainted with the famous French harpist, Bochsa, and they ran away together in 1839. The two began a life of constant touring, first in Europe, then in North America. Bishop's U.S. debut was in Donizetti's "Linda di Chamounix" at the Park Theatre in New York, in 1847. She did a great deal to further the popularity of Italian opera in the U.S. After Boscha's death in 1856 Bishop toured throughout South America. Traveling from the Sandwich Islands to Hong Kong in 1866, her party was shipwrecked on a coral reef, then resumed their tour of Guam, Singapore and India. The singer's final world tour (1874-76) included Australia, China, and South Africa. Bishop's voice was pure, virtuosic, agile, and often compared to a flute. She was acclaimed for her beauty and elaborate costumes. Madame Bishop, as she was known, was the most widely traveled singer of the nineteenth century. In this photo she appears with her daughter, Louisa Bishop (left), who was also a performer.

1863 circa 5 years
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C. D. Fredricks & Co.
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