Skip to content

Stonehenge 1875 family photo may be earliest at monument

Routh family Routh family photo from 1875Routh family
The photograph of the Routh family enjoying a day out at Stonehenge in 1875 was sent in by descendants

An 1875 photograph of a family dressed in finery enjoying a day out at Stonehenge may be the earliest such snap taken at the monument.

English Heritage asked people to send in their pictures to mark 100 years of public ownership of the stones.

After sifting through more than 1,000 images historians said they believed the photograph of Isabel, Maud and Robert Routh was the oldest.

It will be part of a new exhibition of personal photos titled Your Stonehenge.

Routh family 1875 Routh family photo showing the family enjoying a picnicRouth family
Members of the Routh family enjoying a picnic with Champagne at Stonehenge

One picture shows the group sitting on the stones with a picnic rug and what appears to be a bottle of Champagne.

In another, some of them are in a horse-drawn carriage.

"They're wearing fashionable outfits and hats," said English Heritage historian Susan Greaney.

"Right up until the 1920s and '30s people did dress up for days out like this, in their Sunday best, suits and hats."

Nan Noble John and his Aunt Nell, probably in 1929Nan Noble
This photo by Nan Noble is of her brother John and Aunt Nell. She said the stones were "our private playground" where they played tag and hide-and-seek
Richard Bridgland Women in 1932 standing in front of StonehengeRichard Bridgland
Women in 1932 dressed up for a day out at the monument

The exhibition shows how photography has changed - illustrated by "the way that people pose" and how "their faces have got closer to the camera until they are taking a picture of themselves more than they are of Stonehenge", said Ms Greaney.

English Heritage is now asking people to get in touch if they know of an earlier family snap at Stonehenge.

The earliest known photograph of Stonehenge, not featuring a family, is thought to date from 1853 - 22 years earlier.

Richard Woodman-Bailey Richard Woodman-Bailey in the 1950s looking at his father's drawing board at StonehengeRichard Woodman-Bailey
Richard Woodman-Bailey visited Stonehenge during the school holidays in the 1950s when his father was the senior architect responsible for ancient monuments in England and Wales and took personal charge of the work at Stonehenge
Michael Oliver The Oliver family in 1962Michael Oliver
The Olivers from Cornwall on their annual camping holiday in 1962 - Michael, Robert with Teddy, Mum and Carolyn all "dressed in our finest camping clothes and Clarks sandals"
Suzie Deaves Suzie Deaves' family in 1967Suzie Deaves
Suzie Deaves' family was able to walk around and sit on the stones in 1967
Lorna and Clive Tomkins Woman at Stonehenge in 1970Lorna and Clive Tomkins
This picture was taken in 1970 when access to the monument was still open
Roy Poynting Photo from 1993 of a group of bikers at the monumentRoy Poynting
Bikers enjoying a day at Stonehenge in 1993

The most recent photo in the exhibition was taken by renowned photographer and guest curator of the exhibition, Martin Parr, at the 2019 Autumn Equinox.

It features an unknown couple kissing while taking a selfie against the backdrop of the stones.

Mr Parr chose 10 of the images in the exhibition and said he hoped to track down the couple in his picture.

He said the photographs people sent in "really show what the stones mean to people and how our relationship with a site like Stonehenge has changed and yet stayed the same through time".

Martin Parr Couple taking a selfie while kissingMartin Parr
Photographer Martin Parr hopes to track down the couple in this photo he took earlier this year

Your Stonehenge - 150 years of personal photos runs from 12 December to late August 2020.