A fascinating new exhibition at Stonehenge showcases photographs taken at the famed site by families visiting the location from as far back as 1875. Dubbed 'Your Stonehenge,' the project was reportedly the brainchild of English Heritage, the organization which manages historic British sites and has overseen the mysterious monument for the last century. In recognition of that milestone, the group asked people to submit pictures from when their families had visited the site and, in turn, received over 1,000 photos.
A team of historians subsequently curated the collection and parsed it down to 148 images which are now on display at the Stonehenge Visitor Center. The oldest photo dates back to 1875 and features a couple in a horse-drawn carriage in front of the monument. Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of the older images is simply how accessible the site had once been in the past as several photographs show visitors sitting on the rocks and generally having free reign to explore the monument as they saw fit. This is a stark contrast to how the location is roped off to the public today and touching the rocks is largely forbidden.
The collection captures how a visit to Stonehenge was seen somewhat differently in the past as there are a number of photos wherein people are dressed quite nicely for their trip to the monument. "Right up until the 1920s and '30s people did dress up for days out like this, in their Sunday best, suits and hats," historian Susan Greaney explained to the BBC. She went on to point out that curators also noticed that the images provide a unique look at how photography and the way in which people pose for pictures has changed over the years with the advent of cell phone cameras.
