Bonaly Towers. Home of Lord Cockburn 1843 - 1847

"Bonaly Towers. Home of Lord Cockburn" is a calotype photograph by the Scottish partnership Hill and Adamson, taken between 1843 and 1847. This striking image captures a group of individuals posed in front of the historic Bonaly Towers, highlighting the emerging art form of photography as a tool to document the landscape and society of the Victorian era. The photograph showcases the technical advancements of calotype, a process that produced high-quality, detailed images on paper. The composition, featuring a mixture of formal and informal portraits, exemplifies the early photographic practice of capturing social gatherings and the lives of prominent figures. This image is currently held in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.