Reverend Francis Lockey (1796-1869)
photographed Bath and the surrounding districts during the years 1849 to 1861. He and his family resided in Swainswick in the house known as Swainswick Cottage. The building survives today, complete with Lockey's purpose built photographic printing studio (McLaughlin & Gray 1). He used the calotype photographic process, which had been patented by WH Fox Talbot just a few years earlier in 1841. The calotypes are negative images, processed on writing paper, which today is quite brittle and delicate. Most of the calotypes are waxed, which improves the translucency of the negative, creates a smoother surface, and increases the detail of the negative. The word calotype was invented by Talbot from the Greek kalos, meaning beautiful, and the Latin typus, meaning image (Baldwin 2). Each of Lockey's calotypes measures approximately 220 x 280mm. (8¾ x 11 in.) There are 86 calotypes that were presented to the Institution in February 1933 by the Bristol and West of England Amateur Photographic Association. Other Lockey calotypes were presented to Bristol Museum and Cardiff Museum.

'Lockey's images provide a wonderful insight into Victorian life'. His rural scenes of cottages and country houses evoke images of a romantic idyll, but he also documented street features, such as a stone water trough. His scenes of Bath's city streets and architecture indicate his awareness of Bath as a city in transition Bellott's Hospital in Beau Street was demolished shortly afterwards in 1859 he photographed the newly built churches; their Gothic style contrasting with the existing Georgian architecture. The Institution's photographic collections deserve to be viewed and appreciated by a wider audience, and I hope my work at the Institution will enable this to become a reality.

Emma Frater
(extract from a report produced for the BRLSI)

The photographs on this page have been 'printed' digitally. The colour is of course, false. The colour depicated is only created by virtue of it being the 'negative' colour of the original calotypes ( which appear brown ).

A view of Southgate Place, Broad Quay, Bath. There is a wooden cart in front of the buildings. A building on the left with the word 'SELWAYS'. A building in the centre with the words 'W MASTERS COACHMAKER'. A building on the right with the words 'NURSE'S PENNANT YARD'.

Weirs south of Argle Bridge, Bath

A view looking along St Matthew's Place, towards Widcombe Hill. On the right hand side is the White Hart Pub with the painted signs: 'W BRETT, GENUINE HOME BREWING' and 'FAMILIES SUPPLIED WITH CASKS OF ALL SIZES'.
1853/57

Boathouse, Riverside, Nr Claverton Street, Bath

c1853-61

Lansdown Proprietary College

9 May 1857

Somerset Wharf, Bath