Introduction

Francis Bedford—the best in a field in which the British were acknowledged to excel—was hailed by his peers as the premier landscape photographer of the second half of the nineteenth century in England. His photographs were declared the standard by which others should be judged. An acclaimed artistic photographer and at the same time a successful entrepreneur, this “first generation” photographer helped create the criteria for success in two fields that were typically considered mutually exclusive. The study of his photographs identifies some of the qualities deemed essential for acknowledged achievement in both arenas and how two disparate fields might be successfully combined. Neither completely art nor science, photography engaged a broad spectrum of practitioners and critics attempting to define and locate this new medium. Bedford’s photographs, additionally addressing the issue of art vs commerce, serve as a useful focus in anchoring these contentious, often acrimonious debates. Because he produced and distributed his photographs on a large scale, his ideas about photography, art, and nature reached an extensive audience. Consequently, his photographs are particularly useful in investigating what both a professional and general audience considered important and essential in an image representing cultural, social and political ideals. That his photographs can be read and interpreted on multiple levels further illuminates the range of discussion surrounding these issues.