Gezicht op Chepstow Castle before 1862

Francis Bedford made this photograph of Chepstow Castle. Its sepia tones come from the albumen process, which involves coating paper with egg whites and silver nitrate, making it sensitive to light. Bedford was one of many photographers who documented Britain’s architectural heritage at a time when industry was transforming the landscape. Photography was not just about recording images, it was about progress, about understanding and cataloging the world through chemistry and optics. This small image shows Chepstow Castle not as a ruin, but as a romantic relic. The inclusion of a young man adds a sense of scale, but also a sense of contemporary life engaging with history. The photograph is therefore not just a record, but an artwork, carefully composed and printed. It reminds us that even the most documentary of media can be shaped by artistic intention.