10350.h.10

Imprint: London: Sampson Low, Son, and Marston, Crown Buildings, 188, Fleet Street. 1869.

Quarto, measuring 315 x 245 mm, in original green full leather binding, with decoration in gilt on upper and lower boards and title on upper board; marbled endpapers; edges gilt; unpaginated. Printed at Brighton by John Farncombe, 92 Eastern Road. The work comprises a brief introduction, contents list and 40 albumen prints, mounted one to a page (recto only), each photograph preceded by a short letterpress description of the subject. The work is divided into two parts: The Abbey (1-25) and The Palace (1-15). In this listing the photographs have been assigned a single consecutive numbering from 1-40: thus, prints 1-15 of the second part are here numbered 26-40. Harrington's preface (see below), dated January 1869, would imply that the photographs were taken in 1868. Bound in at the front of the volume is a letter from W. H. Sewell to George Bullen, dated 28 January 1883 and stating that he was offering the work, originally published at 5 guineas, for 2 guineas, further noting that he had found the work 'essential to a special study I have had on, connected with the Abbey.'In his brief preface, Harrington outlines the purpose and course of the work as follows: 'In the course of my professional avocations I have long entertained the desire of photographing objects of such universal interest to Englishmen as Westminster Abbey and its adjacent Palace. The former, at least, it will be readily granted, is one of the worthiest examples on which an architectural photographer can exercise his art; and if the more modern pile cannot compare in this respect with its ancient neighbour, the interest which attaches to it as the place in which the temporal destinies of the nation are moulded is scarcely second to that of the Abbey...It is but due to myself to make some mention of the difficulties with which I have had to contend. Both in the Abbey and in the Palace the light is of a character most trying to photography; and this difficulty is still further enhanced in the latter by the nature of the colouring. Indeed, I do not remember to have met with subjects so thoroughly 'obstinate' as the throne and the interiors of the Houses of Lords and Commons. Neverthless, at the cost of some discarded negatives, I flatter myself that I have at length succeeded in producing a series of views which will meet with general approbation...I had not originally intended to append to these views any letterpress; but at the advice of several friends, who thought that a few words of descriptive matter would increase the interest of the book, I have furnished some few remarks to each plate...The views are arranged, as nearly as possible, in the order in which they would be beheld by a visitor to the Abbey and Palace.'