| Description | CCA-DCc/Photo/ALB/1-4 are four volumes of photographs taken by George Austin, jun, between 1861-1862. Each volume contains much the same material though arranged in a different order. The first three volumes were presented to the Cathedral Archive by Miss Grace Gardner/Gardiner of East Grinstead in 1958. She was a grand-daughter of George Austin. According to a letter from her to Dr William Urry pasted down in volume I, George Austin made his own photographic plates. Some of them were developed by J Bateman, 51 St George's Street, Canterbury. The fourth volume was deposited by J W Bridge in 1948. These may not be by Austin.
Together the photographs provide an astonishing record of the state of the cathedral buildings in 1861-1862. They were taken after the tidying up of the cathedral precincts and the demolition of the cheker, the buildings in the infirmary and Brick Walk, and in the water tower garden overlooking the Green Court. Much of this demolition work had been done under the supervision of a member of the Austin family, as well as much of the later rebuilding in the cathedral precinct, including the walls incorporating blocks of ragstone.
The photographs also provide an interesting record of the state of photography at that time. Some of them were exhibited at the 1862 exhibition in London. The prints are mounted on stiff paper, guarded and bound into volumes. A few are loose. One or two of the prints are damp stained but on the whole all the photographs are in an excellent state of preservation. |