The history of portrait photography through National Trust collections

Studio photography

As lighting and photographic processes became more sophisticated, studio photography continued to evolve. Staged studio portraits became a mark of social status. As in earlier studio portraits, they sometimes featured props and backdrops to suggest personal characteristics of the sitter.

Australian-born Henry Walter Barnett was a prominent portrait photographer around the turn of the 20th century. He was known for photographing London’s high society, with studios at Hyde Park Corner and Knightsbridge. Studio photography work can be found across numerous National Trust collections including at Calke Abbey, The Hardmans' House, Knole and Polesdon Lacey.

Capturing the war effort

During the First and Second World Wars, many places now in the care of the National Trust were temporarily requisitioned for wartime purposes. Kingston Lacy, in Dorset, was used as an American hospital and Lanhydrock, in Cornwall, housed urban evacuees during the Blitz.

Second World War evacuees

During the Second World War, millions of civilians – especially children – were evacuated from major cities to the countryside. Many evacuees spent time at places we now care for, and in our collections there are numerous pictures that capture these moments in history.

Informal portraits of everyday activities

Photography became increasingly accessible as equipment became less expensive and easier to use. This opened photography up to a broader spectrum of people, many of whom chose to take candid and informal photos of daily life.

Such photographs help to tell stories of those who worked in National Trust properties over the last 175 years. Images of staff – gardeners, groomsmen, cooks, nannies and maids – show just how many were needed to keep houses and grounds in good working order.

Putting names to faces

The National Trust’s photography collections contain around 550,000 items, from the early days of photography in the 1840s to the present.

We can put names to the faces of many depicted in photographs in our collections, giving a personal insight into the history of our places.

National Trust places with strong photographic connections

From Lacock Abbey’s role in the birth of photography to the house of 20th-century photographer Edward Chambré Hardman, there are many stories to tell about the invention and development of photography at National Trust places. Learn about the important contributions towards photographic innovation, and the efforts to digitise collections for future generations.

Erddig, Wales

The Yorke family at Erddig, North Wales, were enthusiastic adopters of new photographic technology and made pictures of their staff from as early as 1852. The staff were encouraged to make their own photographs, and these were compiled into photographic albums, offering a unique and valuable insight into their lives.

Lacock Abbey, Wiltshire

William Henry Fox Talbot, polymath and pioneer of Victorian photography, moved to Lacock Abbey in 1827. He famously created the earliest surviving photographic negative in 1835, taken of a small window in the abbey's South Gallery.

The Fox Talbot Museum is housed in Lacock’s 16th-century barn. It tells the story of the birth and early development of photography through its photographic collection.

Mount Stewart, County Down

Theresa, Lady Londonderry of Mount Stewart, was a keen photographer and took many glass-plate negatives of her home and its staff.

With the help of volunteers, the team has been cataloguing, cleaning, and digitising the negatives. The pictures have helped to shed new light on the mysterious disappearance of the Mountstewart yacht, which vanished without a trace from Strangford Lough in 1895.

Shaw’s Corner, Hertfordshire

When George Bernard Shaw died in November 1950, he left behind a house filled with the relics of a long and fascinating life. As well as being a writer, he was a keen photographer and left a vast photographic collection of more than 20,000 items, taken by himself and others.

Shaw's pictures are now stored at the London School of Economics, which he helped to found, where the pictures are being digitised.

Sutton Hoo, Suffolk

The collections at Sutton Hoo include a unique set of images by amateur photographers Mercie Lack and Barbara Wagstaff. The pictures, taken in the summer of 1939, capture the dramatic excavation of the Great Ship Burial.

Incredibly they have survived from the very earliest days of the use of colour reversal film. Over the winter of 2019–20, with help from volunteers, the team were able to digitise the collection in their entirety for the first time.

The Hardmans' House, Liverpool

Portrait photographers Edward and Margaret Chambré Hardman had both their home and working studio at 59 Rodney Street in Liverpool. We’re working to protect thousands of early to mid-20th century photographic prints, negatives, letters and business records in the Hardman photographic collection, making it more accessible to everyone. Learn more about the cataloguing and photography conservation of the collection at Hardmans' House.

Wightwick Manor, West Midlands

The Mander family were so enthusiastic about the new 19th-century developments in photography that they built their own dark room.

Both Theodore and Geoffrey Mander were trained chemists, so were particularly interested in the technical side of developing photographs. Their dark room still exists and many of their photographs are still in the collection at Wightwick Manor.

Caring for photographic collections

Caring for our photography collections is an ongoing task. We research, catalogue, and make accessible large parts of our photography collections that remain relatively unknown.

Photographs, particularly historic photographs, are sensitive objects. Conservation work is important to ensure long-term preservation, to keep photography collections safe for years to come.