Pyramids, temples, sphinxes and shrines: breathtaking images of these ancient and often iconic landmarks, captured by pioneering photographer Francis Bedford, provided new insights for Victorians into the historic and biblical sites of the eastern Mediterranean. Generously lent by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, these remarkable photographs from the Royal Collection feature in the first exclusively web-based exhibition curated at the Barber.

Bedford (1815 – 1894) accompanied Albert Edward, Prince of Wales (future King Edward VII), who was sent by his mother, Queen Victoria, in 1862 on a four-month journey through Egypt, the Holy Land and Greece. The goal of this odyssey was to introduce the prince to ancient and contemporary civilizations, cultures, and political figures, which contributed to his education as the future king and ruler of the British Empire.

Bedford was the first photographer ever to accompany a royal tour, and he exhibited these fine examples of early photography soon after his return, to great acclaim. They brought to life British public sites that had previously existed only in prints and paintings, and Barber’s show considers the perception of these cultures and the concept of empire during the Victorian era.

The images here are supplemented by an excerpt from The Prince’s handwritten journal, contemporary commentary from newspapers and illustrated magazines, and drawings by Lawrence Alma-Tadema from the college’s Cadbury Research Library.