St. Andrews 1843 - 1847

This salted paper print, St. Andrews, was produced between 1843 and 1848 by Scottish artists David Hill and Robert Adamson. Their collaboration emerged during a time of significant social and technological change. Hill, a painter, and Adamson, a chemist, combined their skills to pioneer photography in Scotland. As a portraitist, Hill was drawn to photography by its capacity to capture likeness, but his vision extended beyond mere representation. The image of St. Andrews, a town steeped in history and religious significance, speaks to the shifting cultural and religious landscape of 19th-century Scotland. We see crumbling ruins adjacent to modern buildings, an image which encapsulates the tension between tradition and modernity. Hill and Adamson captured more than just images, they froze transient moments in time. Their photographs offer a poignant reflection on Scotland's evolving identity during an era of rapid transformation.