Landscapes of Change

Discover a showcase of historic photographs from the collection of Janette Rosing. Images in this exhibition are drawn from Historic England’s Janette Rosing Collection, which comprises more than 8,400 photographs from every county in England, dating from the mid-19^th to the early 20^th century. Taken by a number of prominent photographers and photographic companies, the images document both significant developments in early photography and the changing character of England’s landscape.

Reflecting Janette Rosing’s particular interest in coastal, maritime and architectural history, the exhibition focuses on images of Somerset, exploring how its physical and cultural landscape has evolved over time. The photographs capture places, buildings and communities, offering glimpses of a landscape that has since been transformed or disappeared altogether.

About Janette Rosing

Janette Rosing (1942-2021) was a renowned photographic consultant, collector and connoisseur who dedicated her life to acquiring 19^th and early 20^th century photographs. Inspired by a photograph of Hartland Quay on the Devon coast before it was ravaged by a storm, she spent decades attending photograph fairs and auctions in search of new additions to her collection, building a remarkable record of an England “lost” in time.

Rosing’s expertise was widely recognised, and she became a trusted advisor to collectors, institutions and photographic dealers around the world. Her collection not only preserves important visual records of England’s past but also reflects the passion, knowledge and dedication that shaped her life’s work. It demonstrates the powerful role that collecting can play in defining identity, preserving memory and deepening our understanding of history.

Acknowledgements

Historic England is the public body that protects and brings life to the heritage that matters to us all, so it lives on and is loved for longer. From the extraordinary to the everyday, our historic places and spaces matter. From community centres to cathedrals, homes to high streets, markets to mills – there are special places we all choose to hold onto, the legacy we want to pass on and the stories we continue to tell. Historic England works together with people across England to discover, protect and bring new life to our shared historic environment, providing advice, knowledge, support and services.

The Archives Revealed programme is funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, the Pilgrim Trust, the Wolfson Foundation and The National Archives.

Header Image: The ruins of the Abbey Church at Glastonbury. 1866. Historic Engalnd Archive.