Historical information

The abbey was founded by the Countess of Salisbury in 1229 for Augustinian Canonesses. It prospered throughout the middle ages. It was bought by William Henry Fox Talbot (1800-77). He was part of a scientific and enlightened group of men, which led him to discover the process of photography. The first photograph is said to have been taken from the windows of Lacock Abbey.In August 1835 Talbot made the earliest known surviving photographic negative using a wooden camera.The rare small photogenic image of the latticed window in the south gallery of Lacock is now in the collection of the Science Museum at Bradford, UK.

Physical description

Colour photograph of Abbey, Lacock, United Kingdom

Subjects