Voorgevel van Uppingham School before 1870

Charles Drake created this albumen print of the front of Uppingham School sometime before his death in 1874. Drake was a British photographer who, as an artist working in the mid-19th century, was deeply embedded in the Victorian era's social and cultural norms. Uppingham School, an elite all-boys boarding school, was a place where the British upper class reproduced itself, and this photograph presents a carefully cultivated image of prestige and tradition. The building's architecture is softened by climbing plants, suggesting a blend of nature and established order. The image evokes a sense of timelessness, a key aspect of the school's branding. Consider what this image excludes: the labor required to maintain such an institution and the diverse experiences of individuals who do not fit this narrow vision of British identity. The emotional experience of viewing this photograph today might range from nostalgia to critique, depending on our own relationship to such institutions. It prompts us to reflect on the legacies of privilege and exclusion that continue to shape our society.