Images from the Janette Rosing collection include some of the earliest landscape photography ever taken in the country, spanning the breadth of southern England from the harbours of Clovelly and Plymouth in Devon to the streets of Bethnal Green and the banks of the River Thames in London.
Ian Savage, the collections manager at Historic England, said: “From maritime scenes by James Mudd to detailed architectural studies by Linnaeus Tripe, each photograph in this exceptional collection offers a glimpse into the past, showcasing Janette Rosing’s expert eye for quality.
The photographs are part of a collection that include 8,000 images and was put together over decades by Rosing, a photographic consultant who worked with the royal collection at Windsor Castle, auction houses and museums.
Duncan Wilson, the chief executive of Historic England, said the “scale and rarity” of Rosing’s images made the collection one of “great national significance”, while other well-preserved collections have fetched £70,000 at auction.
Rosing collected early photography by pioneers, including WG Campbell, William Russell Sedgfield, Henry William Verschoyle, Samuel Smith of Wisbech, William J Cox of Plymouth, James Mudd and Samuel Buckle.
