Canterbury Cathedral
Photochrom Print Collection, c. 1890
Canterbury's Bell Harry tower and long Gothic flank in color photochrom.
About this work
This color view of Canterbury Cathedral is a photochrom print from around 1890, now in the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division. It shows the cathedral rising above rooftops and trees, with its pinnacled towers, the long nave and the great central tower. A photochrom is not a color photograph. The process, invented in the 1880s by Hans Jakob Schmid of the Swiss printers Orell Füssli, starts from a single black-and-white negative; the photographer took notes on the colors of the scene, and the image was transferred to a series of lithographic stones, one for each tone. Photochroms were most popular in the 1890s, when true color photography was still commercially impractical, and were sold by the thousand as prints and postcards. The Library of Congress copy is a sheet of about 17 by 23 cm. Canterbury Cathedral, the seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury, was founded by Augustine in 597 and rebuilt after the Norman Conquest. In 1170 Archbishop Thomas Becket was murdered inside it by knights of Henry II, and the east end was later extended to cope with the pilgrims who came to his shrine. It is part of a World Heritage Site.
Sources: Library of Congress: Canterbury Cathedral (photochrom) · Wikipedia: Photochrom · Wikipedia: Canterbury Cathedral
Print facts
- Native resolution
- 7,262 × 5,332 px
- Sharp at 150 ppi up to
- 48 × 35 in
- Sizes
- Small (20 × 15 in) · $100 · 355 ppi
Medium (24 × 18 in) · $150 · 296 ppi
Large (36 × 26 in) · $300 · 202 ppi - Price includes
- Frame and US shipping · 14–21 days · 30-day returns
FAQ
Where can I buy a framed print of Canterbury Cathedral?
Here. Canterbury Cathedral is available as a framed print in three sizes: Small (20 × 15 in) for $100, Medium (24 × 18 in) for $150 and Large (36 × 26 in) for $300. Prices include the frame and US shipping; delivery takes 14–21 days, with 30-day returns.
What size works best for Canterbury Cathedral?
The file is 7,262 × 5,332 px, so every size is sharp: even Large (36 × 26 in) prints at 202 ppi. Choose Large (36 × 26 in) for a large wall; Small (20 × 15 in) suits a narrower space.
Is it legal to print Canterbury Cathedral?
Yes. This photochrom print was made between about 1890 and 1900, and any copyright in it expired long ago; works published before 1931 are in the public domain in the United States. The Library of Congress, which holds this copy, has not evaluated its rights status, but a print of this age is far too old to still be in copyright.
