One of a series of views representing the Author’s country seat in
Wiltshire. It is a religious structure of great antiquity, erected early
in the thirteenth century, many parts of which are still remaining in
excellent preservation. This plate gives a distant view of the Abbey,
which is seen reflected in the waters of the river Avon. The spectator is
looking to the North West.
The tower which occupies the South-eastern comer of the huilding is
believed to be of Queen Elizabeth’s time, but the lower portion of it is
much older, and coeval with the first foundation of the abbey.
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In my first account of “The Art of Photogenic Drawing,” read to the Royal
Society in January, 1839, I mentioned this building as being the first
“that was ever yet known to have drawn its own picture.”
It was in the summer of 1835 that these curious self-representations were
first obtained. Their size was very small: indeed, they were but
miniatures, though very distinct: and the shortest time of making them was
nine or ten minutes.
[PLATE XVI. CLOISTERS OF LACOCK ABBEY.]