Silchester Photographs

Early Historic Photographs of the Silchester Excavations

Reading Museum Service holds an archive of over 600 historic photographs documenting the early excavations at the Roman town of Calleva Atrebatum, near Silchester. These images record the excavations from the time of Revd J. G. Joyce, who worked on the site from 1864 to 1878, to the completion of the major work by the Society of Antiquaries, who uncovered the town between 1890 and 1909.

The photographs include fascinating images of the excavators in their day-to-day work, the directors led by George Fox, Mill Stephenson and William St. John Hope, and the visiting dignitaries and specialists. The earliest, dating to about 1870, capture the Revd Joyce's workforce and the first excavations in the Forum and Basilica. Other pictures bring to life many aspects of this major Roman town and record in detail the uncovering of houses, mosaics and baths. Some of the objects now on display at the Museum of Reading appear as they were when first recovered.

The collection includes over 250 glass plate negatives and associated prints taken by the Reading photographer Sydney Victor White whose business was established in Reading in 1869. Victor White was working at an interesting period in the early development of photography, which coincided with the beginning of systematic archaeological excavations.

Many additions to the Victor White photographs have come into the collection over the years. These were taken by professional and amateur photographers and by visitors to the site. They range from large mounted prints to bundles of small snapshots. The acquisition of these important images could well have been helped by the fact that both George Fox and Mill Stephenson successively became Hon. Curators of the Silchester Collection at Reading Museum.

The work of scanning, identifying and interpreting the early Silchester Photographic Collection was partially funded by a grant from the regional museums agency now known as the South East Museum, Library & Archive Council.

To view these photographs click on the buttons to browse through Favourites or search for Buildings, Features, Objects or People. A free text search is available and a glossary button for unfamiliar terms.

Copyright - Reading Borough Council 2006