North Cray Place, in the County of Kent, from Edward Hasted's, The History and Topographical Survey of the County of Kent, vols. 1-3 1777 - 1790

John Bayly’s “North Cray Place, in the County of Kent” comes from Edward Hasted's volumes documenting the history and topography of Kent, published in the late 18th century. This print offers us a window into the Georgian era, a time defined by its rigid social hierarchies, and the expansion of the British Empire. At first glance, we see an image of stately elegance - the great house, the manicured gardens, and the figures attending to the grounds. But, like all idylls, this image obscures as much as it reveals. Bayly's work is a stark reminder of the social and economic disparities of the time. The wealth that supported such grand estates was built on colonial exploitation and the labor of the working class, whose stories are often missing from these historical documents. Consider the people who lived and toiled here, within and outside the frame. What were their lives like? How did gender and class shape their experiences? This print, with its formal rendering of property and place, invites us to reflect on the complex layers of history embedded in the British landscape.