Book Description

Henry Taunt was one of the most prolific and innovative of Victorian photographers, working mainly in and around Oxford. The River Thames became his favourite subject, and he captured its astonishing variety in thousands of glass plate negatives. From the natural beauties of the river itself and its landscape, through the historic houses, bridges and other riverside buildings which mark its progress, to its place as a playground for Victorian oarsmen, fishermen, and outdoor lovers of all kinds, Taunt's photographs present a matchless picture of late Victorian Britain. The authors have selected some 75 of Taunt's finest photographs, and, revisiting the sites today, have recorded the same views with cutting edge digital technology. These they have woven in with the originals, which are reproducing with the greatest possible care, together with a commentary based on Taunt's own numerous guidebooks. The result is a book of extraordinary beauty and power, which both evokes a vanished world and at the same time captures the contemporary beauty of what in many ways is a timeless landscape.