Biography

Francis Bedford trained as an architect and practised as a lithographer, turning to photography in the early 1850s as an aid to his work. He had close links with the British monarchy, photographing objects in the royal collections for Queen Victoria and, in 1857, taking on a commission from Prince Albert to photograph his birthplace in Bavaria. In 1862 he accompanied the Prince of Wales on a four-month tour of the Middle East, making nearly 150 views which he exhibited and published on his return.