The Pillars of Durham

A noted Pictorialist and member of Alfred Stieglitz’s circle, Frederick H. Evans was best known for painstakingly planned images of cathedral interiors. Evans practiced what he called “the straightest of the straight photography,” carefully exposing his negatives and printing them on matte platinum paper, which offered a rich tonal range. After about a decade spent documenting church architecture, he completed his last major series at the Durham Cathedral, in the north of England, between 1911 and 1912. When Edwards began as curator of photography, the museum held only two Evans prints, from the Stieglitz Collection; in 1966 he added 15 more, including this print.