FOR the first 3½ years of its existence, until June 29, 1901, this magazine was called COUNTRY LIFE ILLUSTRATED. The name underlined its most innovative feature: the inclusion of large-scale and high-quality photographs within the running text of the magazine. In achieving this remarkable combination, it was then at the vanguard of printing technology. Other magazines and newspapers were quick to catch up, but, of all the publications available today in a British newsagent, COUNTRY LIFE can claim to be the first to have undertaken this revolution in photographic illustration. It remains the only ‘glossy’ weekly in the world.
As a consequence of its high-quality illustration, the magazine has never ceased to commission its own photography. This has been delivered week after week for the past 125 years in a bewildering variety of formats, including glass plate negatives, large-format acetates, 35mm slides and, for the past 15 years or so, as digital files. The images cover every imaginable subject, from pictures of notable buildings, gardens and the countryside to social events and people. Many of these photographs have appeared in the pages of the magazine, but, equally, others have never seen the light of day since they were received and set aside by the art desk for some long-forgotten reason.
Organising the archive has always been— and remains—a major challenge, not least because there is a big demand for the re-use of images, both within the magazine and beyond. Finding images, however, has always required dedicated and specialist oversight.
Denne historien er fra January 05, 2022-utgaven av Country Life UK.
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Denne historien er fra January 05, 2022-utgaven av Country Life UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Kitchen garden cook - Apples
'Sweet and crisp, apples are the epitome of autumn flavour'
The original Mr Rochester
Three classic houses in North Yorkshire have come to the market; the owner of one inspired Charlotte Brontë to write Jane Eyre
Get it write
Desks, once akin to instruments of torture for scribes, have become cherished repositories of memories and secrets. Matthew Dennison charts their evolution
'Sloes hath ben my food'
A possible paint for the Picts and a definite culprit in tea fraud, the cheek-suckingly sour sloe's spiritual home is indisputably in gin, says John Wright
Souvenirs of greatness
FOR many years, some large boxes have been stored and forgotten in the dark recesses of the garage. Unpacked last week, the contents turned out to be pots: some, perhaps, nearing a century old—dense terracotta, of interesting provenance.
Plants for plants' sake
The garden at Hergest Croft, Herefordshire The home of Edward Banks The Banks family is synonymous with an extraordinary collection of trees and shrubs, many of which are presents from distinguished friends, garnered over two centuries. Be prepared to be amazed, says Charles Quest-Ritson
Capturing the castle
Seventy years after Christian Dior’s last fashion show in Scotland, the brand returned under creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri for a celebratory event honouring local craftsmanship, the beauty of the land and the Auld Alliance, explains Kim Parker
Nature's own cathedral
Our tallest native tree 'most lovely of all', the stately beech creates a shaded environment that few plants can survive. John Lewis-Stempel ventures into the enchanted woods
All that money could buy
A new book explores the lost riches of London's grand houses. Its author, Steven Brindle, looks at the residences of plutocrats built by the nouveaux riches of the late-Victorian and Edwardian ages
In with the old
Diamonds are meant to sparkle in candlelight, but many now gather dust in jewellery boxes. To wear them today, we may need to reimagine them, as Hetty Lintell discovers with her grandmother's jewellery
