Ely Cathedral: North Choir Aisle to West

Art Historical Context

Step into the ethereal glow of Ely Cathedral's Choir Aisle, as captured by Frederick H. in this 1891 lantern slide Evans, a pioneering British photographer renowned for his luminous depictions of Gothic architecture, transformed the ancient cathedral's stone vaults and arches into a study of light and shadow. Ely Cathedral, a masterpiece of Norman and Early English Gothic design dating back to the 11th century, Evans with a perfect subject to showcase its soaring elegance and intricate details. This square-format photograph, measuring just 8.2 × 8.2 cm, was created as a lantern slide—a glass positive designed for projection via magic lantern devices. Popular in the late 19th century, these slides brought architectural wonders to life in lecture halls and drawing rooms, democratizing access to distant masterpieces for audiences hungry for visual education. Evans's meticulous technique emphasized tonal subtlety and atmospheric depth, hallmarks of his architectural photography that influenced the Pictorialist movement. Housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's Photography and Media department, this work highlights Evans's dedication to preserving Britain's ecclesiastical heritage through the nascent art of photography. Imagine the slide's projected image filling a darkened room, inviting viewers to ponder the interplay of medieval craftsmanship and Victorian innovation.

About the Artist

Frederick H. Evans · 1853–1943

Frederick H. Evans was born in London on 26 June 1853 and lived there his entire life, dying just two days before his ninetieth birthday in 1943. His first career was as a bookseller, operating a shop in Cheapside where he became a well-connected figure in London's intellectual life, counting the playwright George Bernard Shaw and the illustrator Aubrey Beardsley among his friends and customers. H...