The Wye and Symond's Yat. From Rocklands 1870s

Francis Bedford created this albumen silver print titled "The Wye and Symond's Yat. From Rocklands" during a time when the British Empire was expanding, and photography was being used both to document and celebrate the nation's landscape and its control over territories and resources. In this photograph, the picturesque river Wye winds through a verdant landscape. Two figures are quietly sketching or painting; perhaps this highlights the Romantic era's emphasis on the individual's subjective experience of nature. Bedford's choice to include these figures also speaks to the social class that had the luxury of leisure time to appreciate and artistically capture such scenery. The photograph seems to invite a conversation about whose perspectives are being represented and whose are being left out. The image encourages us to reflect on how landscape photography has historically played a role in shaping perceptions of national identity and belonging.