Picturing England
Photographers have taken pictures of England’s buildings and landscapes since the invention of the medium, making images of the traces of past societies as well as photographing the new buildings around them. They have done so for many reasons: to capture the picturesque; to make a living or a souvenir; to promote or to condemn; to record what is disappearing or to reveal what is normally hidden. The formats and types of photograph they have used have been, over time, just as various, from the rare and special image, such as the first calotype, to the ubiquitous digital photograph. Collectively these photographers, both famous and anonymous, have changed the way we see and understand our environment.This book features over 297 striking photographs from the Historic England Archive, an unparalleled collection of 8 million images on England’s buildings and landscapes. Viewed collectively, its photographic collections record the changing face of England from the beginning of photography to the present day. They form a remarkable national asset, a huge memory bank that helps us understand and interpret the past, informs the present and assists with future management and appreciation of the historic environment.With informative essays and captions by the authors, this book will appeal to anyone with an interest in photography, architecture, archaeology orsocial history.Key Features:Features a selection of the photographic riches to be found in the Historic England ArchiveReveals new insights into the history of photography and the development of our built environmentPacked with illustrations, these images form a vital record of buildings and environments and illuminate the social worlds in which people livedContents1. The pioneers: Before 18602. The rise of the mass market in photography: 1860–19393. The amateur view: 1860–19394. The rise of the professional architectural photographer: 1860–19395. Recording the past: 1870 to the present day6. The view from above7. A photographic threadAbout the AuthorsMike Evans is the Head of Archives at Historic England.Gary Winter is the Archive Exhibitions Officer at Historic England.Anne Woodward is the Archive Exhibitions Manager at Historic England.