Harewood House from the Lower Terrace
Albumen print, c. 1859s
7/10; 336 x 436, mounted
$9500.
Fenton's brother-in-law, C.S. Maynard, was estate manager of Harewood House. The South Terrace extension had recently been completed by Sir Charles Berry, who rebuilt the Houses of Parliament, when Fenton received, what Gordon Baldwin calls, 'his principal commission'. Baldwin (All The Mighty World, 2004, p. 71) goes on to say: 'Individually, and collectively, the photographs from Harewood represent some of Fenton's finest works of art.' The only previously known prints of Harewood come from a Fenton descendant to the Royal Photographic Society Collection (now at the Nat'l Media Museum) or are at Harewood House itself. It is claimed (op.cit., p. 254) that one print taken from the lower terrace shows Fenton himself leaning on 'the distant stone ballustrade'. Possibly, this is the image being referred to as a figure with his back to the camera is visible posed opposite the family group on the upper terrace. It is possible that this image has never previously been published. Mount bears Fenton's imprint and has 'Harewood' written in pencil.