Blea Tarn, Langdale before 1864

Here we see a mounted albumen print titled "Blea Tarn, Langdale" by Thomas Ogle. Without a specific date, it is difficult to pinpoint the exact cultural moment influencing Ogle, but it is likely the image was made during the height of British Romanticism, where nature was seen as sublime. The image offers a romantic and picturesque view of the English Lake District. The viewpoint is composed to capture a sense of rural harmony. The inclusion of a single dwelling reminds us of the presence of working-class communities who lived and toiled in these landscapes. Ogle's choice to frame the image with an arched window suggests a desire to elevate the scene, which can be viewed as a reflection of how landscape photography served to both document and idealize the English countryside. In a rapidly industrializing nation, the photograph might evoke nostalgia for a simpler, perhaps idealized, rural past. It invites us to contemplate our relationship with nature.