Gezicht op een brug nabij Lustleigh c. 1850 - 1880

This is Francis Bedford’s stereoscopic photograph of a bridge near Lustleigh. Bedford was part of a generation of photographers in the mid-19th century who turned the camera’s gaze towards British landscapes, coinciding with a burgeoning interest in picturesque scenes. During this time, the countryside was not merely a visual retreat; it was a site loaded with social and economic implications. The pastoral imagery often masked the realities of rural life marked by agricultural changes and varying degrees of rural poverty. In the context of Victorian England, this image presents an idealized version of the countryside, subtly reinforcing a romanticized national identity. Bedford's photograph of a simple stone bridge, cloaked in greenery, presents an idyllic, timeless scene, inviting us to reflect on our connections to the land and the narratives we construct around it.