A Village Lost and Found

An exhibition based on 3-D stereoscopic photography organised by Brian May, world renowned member of Queen, and photohistorian Elena Vidal. Free Entrance.

Join us on an extraordinary journey into the past, in 3D. This exhibition provides a unique opportunity to learn more about rural life in the Victorian era while discovering the little known world of Victorian stereoscopic photography through the work of one of its masters, Thomas Richard Williams. Based on the recently published book “A Village Lost and Found” by Brian May, of Queen, and photohistorian Elena Vidal, the exhibition presents a selection of images from the renowned series “Scenes in Our Village” by pioneer Victorian stereoscopic photographer Thomas Richard Williams.

Produced in the early 1850s and comprising 59 stereoscopic photographs, “Scenes in Our Village” is a testimony and a tribute to a rapidly disappearing way of life. In the mid 19th century, agricultural industrialisation was working its way into the British countryside, altering the rural landscape, putting an end to the old ways and changing man’s rapport with nature forever. This soon to be lost world is precisely what Thomas Richard Williams endeavoured to record as he went back to his beloved Hinton Waldrist, the place of his childhood memories and still at the time a sleepy little enclave of traditional farming. It was not just another project for him, but a very personal journey. The feelings and thoughts evoked in Williams are reflected in the verses that he himself penned down, one for each image. The combination of photographs and verses results in a detailed account on all aspects of rural life and a touching tribute to the joys and hardships that are part of it. The blacksmith, the Esquire, the old schoolmistress and even the children of the village are the protagonists. We see how they go about with their daily routines and how the entire village works together during harvest. The journey finishes in a leisurely fishing trip in the nearby hamlet of Duxford, where the tranquillity of nature is enjoyed.

Remarkably, and surprisingly for many, all these images are presented to the observer in 3D, a format that is presently enjoying a huge revival. Wingfield Barns invites you to come and experience the magic of stereoscopic photography through these thought-provoking images.

Sat 26th June - Sat 17th July
Mon - Sat 10am - 5pm
Sun 11am - 4pm

Free Admission, donations welcome