The ability of perception and interpretation of photographs, a fundamental component of visual culture, is today indispensable cultural and scientifi c competence. This article is intended to defi ne fi eld of analysis and interpretation of the theatre atelier photography, with an emphasis on one of its features – documentarity. It is also an attempt to justify the need for a comprehensive study of the theater the second half of the 19th age and equal treatment of materials documenting the phenomenon.