Spectacles of the past showcased by the best historic photography of 2018

December 04, 2018

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English History Winner - Red Sands Sea Forts, Thames Estuary. "Part of the WW2 fortification of Great Britain. These forts were built to aid the protection of London from air attacks in WW2."

Mark Edwards

Overall Winner - Mont Saint-Michel. "Les Méandres: The medieval island commune of Le Mont Saint-Michel sits off the northwestern coast near the border between Brittany and Normandy in France. This photograph, taken during the spring tide in early March 2018, shows the curious land formations known locally as Les Méandres. The channels fill up in late afternoon and reflect the setting sun to create a mirror pool effect."

Daniel Burton

Ancient History Winner - Callanish Stone Circle, Isle of Lewis, Scotland

David Ross

English History Winner - Red Sands Sea Forts, Thames Estuary. "Part of the WW2 fortification of Great Britain. These forts were built to aid the protection of London from air attacks in WW2."

Mark Edwards

Shortlisted - Palmyra, Temple of Bel, Syria. "Syria Palmyra temple of Bel before its destruction in the conflict."

David Lyon

Shortlisted - Pripyat, Chernobyl, Ukraine. "Thirty years after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, this photo was taken in January 2016, in the ghost town of Pripyat, formerly home to almost 50,000 Chernobyl workers and their families."

Dave Searl

Shortlisted - Enisala, Romania. "With a flourishing city that was part of the Northern Loop of the Silk Road, Enisala was a vibrant place on a commercial route, with a strategic fortress to guard it closely."

Diana Buzoianu

Shortlisted - WW2 Bunker, Isle of Sheppy. "WW2 bunker which now sits in the sea after coastal erosion."

Mark Edwards

Shortlisted - Day Mark, Kingswear. "This photo was taken on an early morning walk down brownstone battery. I came across the Day Mark and found it a very interesting part of history."

Samanther-Mae Wallis

Shortlisted - Engine Room, SS Great Britain, Bristol. "SS Great Britain was revolutionary when launched in 1843. Originally the first luxury passenger liner she was adapted in the middle of the 19th century to carry emigrants to Australia, supplying the colony with a much-needed population eager to escape poverty in Britain."

Thomas Bedson

Shortlisted - Buddha of Borobudur, Java, Indonesia. "Located in central Java, Indonesia, this is the largest Buddhist monument in the world. The Borobudur Temple was built in the 8th and 9th centuries by Java's Shailendra Dynasty, when it became a major Buddhist pilgrimage site."

Sirsendu Gaven

Shortlisted - Old Library, Jesus College, Cambridge. "Chained books at the Old Library, Jesus College, Cambridge."

Sara Rawlinson

Shortlisted - Tintern Abbey. "A Cistercian Abbey on the banks of the river Wye built in 1131. All that remains today is the shell of the abbey which was victim to Henry VIII's dissolution of the monasteries."

Mike Kitchingman

Shortlisted - SS Nornen, Berrow. "The remains of the SS Nornen, a Norwegian barque which was shipwrecked 3rd March, 1897 (Berrow)."

Mark Edwards

Shortlisted - Hampi, Karnataka, India. "Hampi is one of world's UNESCO heritage sites and an architectural wonder of the world .The majestic Queens Bath is historical and ancient."

Jwalakotesh

Shortlisted - Qutb Minar. "Qutb Minar (also called Qutub Minar or Qutab Minar) is a famous Indian historical monument and the second tallest minar in India. Qutb Minar is 73 m tall and built in the Indo-Islamic architectural style. It has been added to the UNESCO World Heritage Site."

Jayesh Vijuda

Shortlisted - Great Zimbabwe. "Great Zimbabwe was the center of an important African civilization and was inhabited from the 12th to the 16th centuries. The Great Enclosure dates to around 1450 - when the Shona civilization was at its peak. It is the largest single ancient building in sub-Saharan Africa, and is a dry-stone wall 250 m in circumference and up to 11 m in height."

Iain Pearson

Shortlisted - Dunluce Castle. "The iconic Dunluce Castle is situated on the north Antrim coast of Northern Ireland. The first castle was built here in the 13th century by Richard Og De Burgh 2nd Earl of Ulster."

Glenn Miles

Shortlisted - Rivaulx Abbey Staircase. "The remains of a spiral staircase once used by the Cistercian Monks, now, a nesting place for birds. The abbey is near Helmsley in Yorkshire and was built in 1132. Mostly destroyed during HenryVIII's dissolution of the monasteries in 1538, enough remains to tell of an age when the church was all powerful."

Mike Kitchingman

Shortlisted - Tyne Pedestrian Tunnel, Newcastle Upon Tyne. "Taken in the Tyne Pedestrian and Cyclist Tunnel in Newcastle (currently closed for alterations). This shows a wooden escalator, which is reputably the longest wooden escalator in the world."

George Ledger

Shortlisted - Headstone Manor. "Inside the attic room of Headstone Manor. Headstone Manor is a 14th Century Grade 1 listed moated manor house in suburban London. It was the former London residence of the Archbishops of Canterbury and was a former possession of Henry VIII. It has been recently restored from almost total dereliction by a Heritage Lottery Fund grant into a thriving small museum."

Duncan Shields

Shortlisted - St Michael's Mount

David Ross

Shortlisted - Hadrian's Wall, Milecastle 39

David Ross

Shortlisted - St Mary's Lastingham. "St Mary's Lastingham is built on a 7th century Crypt by St Cedd with the main building above built as a monastery in the 11th century which became the church of St Marys."

David Oxtaby

Shortlisted - Santa Catalina Arch, Antigua, Guatemala. "The Santa Catalina Arch in Guatemala’s city of Antigua is an icon of a lost colonial masterpiece. The city was founded by conquistadors in 1543 and later become one of the most celebrated in the Spanish indies. It lies in the shadow of Volcan Agua."

Daniel Burton

Shortlisted - Alexandra Road Estate, London. "This twilight shot was taken at the Alexandra Road Estate, also known as the Rowley Way Estate. A fine example of 70's brutalist architecture that is also grade 2 listed."

Chris London

Shortlisted - Whaler's Hut, Svalbard, Norway. "Whaling for blubber and oil was widespread in Svalbard from the 17th century, mainly by the British and Dutch. Due to the low temperatures some original huts from the period have survived completely intact and are now protected monuments. The sites are extremely fragile and must not be too closely approached, here featuring whale vertebrae and rib bones."

Chris Dobbs

Shortlisted - Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba

Bjørn Andre Hagen

Shortlisted - West Pier Ruins, Brighton. "This iconic pier sadly tells of past glories but remains the main focal point of Brighton Beach."

Ben Nazarko

Shortlisted - Beverley Minster, Yorkshire. "Sunrise at Beverley Minster, Yorkshire from Westwood Common."

Andy

Shortlisted - Taj Mahal, Agra, India. "The Taj Mahal is an ivory-white marble mausoleum on the south bank of the Yamuna river in the Indian city of Agra. The present image is from the backside."

Amitava Chandra

Shortlisted - Whitby Abbey. "This photograph was taken in the ruins of the eighth century abbey of St. Hilda's in Whitby, Yorkshire."

Alan Baxter

Shortlisted - Bradgate House. "The ruins of Bradgate House caught in the light of the setting sun in Autumn."

Chris Hanley

Shortlisted - Newark Castle

David Ross

Shortlisted - Taj Mahal, Agra, India. "An immense mausoleum of white marble, built in Agra between 1631 and 1648 by order of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favourite wife, the Taj Mahal is the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage."

Dinesh Parmar

Shortlisted - Donnington Castle

Jonathan Reid

Shortlisted - Witley Court

Andrew Moore

Shortlisted - Grand Shaft, Dover. "The Grand Shaft was built into the white cliffs of Dover to assist the movement of troops between the barracks at the top of the cliff, and the town and harbour below. Completed in roughly 1807, the shaft entailed building two brick-lined shafts, one inside the other. In the outer, there is a triple staircase, the inner acting as a light well with windows cut in its outer wall to illuminate the staircases."

Chris London

Shortlisted - Bradford Odeon. "The Bradford Odeon was opened in the 1930s and called the New Victoria and was a cinema and theatre which had a restaurant and ballroom attached. It was closed late 1960s and taken over by the Odeon group where it became a multiplex. It closed in 2000 and is now awaiting redevelopment."

David Oxtaby

Shortlisted - Kirby Muxloe Castle

David Ross

Shortlisted - King's College Chapel. "This angel atop the organ screen in King's College Chapel (King's College, Cambridge) has been watching over visitors for over 480 years."

Sara Rawlinson

Shortlisted - Auschwitz Birkenau. "Part of a series of photographs from Auschwitz and Auschwitz Birkenau, this photo was taken at the end of the railway line."

Eleanor Killner

Shortlisted - Broadway Tower, Chipping Campden

Ellie

Shortlisted - Wheal Coates Tin Mine, Cornwall, UK. "This photograph features the iconic ruins of the Wheal Coates Tin Mine in Cornwall, UK, set against a star filled-backdrop. This particular mine shut down for good in 1913, and has since been slowly crumbling where it remains overlooking the North Atlantic Sea on St Agnes Headland."

Henry Giltjes-Vincent

Shortlisted - Lindisfarne Priory. "Between the arches and pillars of the ruins at Lindisfarne Priory, two cross-shapes can be seen, which bring together in one shot the devotional and the martial, and hint at the site's turbulent past."

James Aitcheson

Shortlisted - Bodiam Castle. "Built in 1385 the castle was once a symbol of Britain’s defense and power however, after the civil war, the castle is now just a shell with only the outer walls remaining."

Jasmine Pope

Shortlisted - Dunstanburgh Castle

John Carson

Shortlisted - Pompeii, Italy. "Dense smoke clouds produced by a forest fire in mount Vesuvius hang over the ruins of Pompeii, Italy."

Juan Pablo Lasterra

Shortlisted - Ancient Holloway, Northamptonshire

Katherine Harrison

Shortlisted - Jaisalmer Fort, Rajasthan, India. "The Jaisalmer Fort is situated in the city of Jaisalmer, in Rajasthan, India. It is believed to be one of the very few ‘living forts’ in the world, as nearly one fourth of the old city's population still resides within the fort. Jaisalmer Fort is the second oldest fort in Rajasthan, built in 1156 AD by the Rajput ruler Jaisal."

Rajesh Dhar

Shortlisted - Victoria Memorial Hall, Kolkata, India. "The Victoria Memorial is a large marble building in Kolkata, West Bengal, India, which was built between 1906 and 1921. It is dedicated to the memory of Queen Victoria (1819–1901) and is now a museum and tourist destination."

Rajesh Dhar

Shortlisted - Castle of Sammezzano, Italy. "The Castle of Sammezzano is a rare example of eclectic and Moorish architecture in Europe. Over the second half of the 19th century, this formerly medieval castle was transformed into a fine example of the Orientalist fashion by Marchese Ferdinando Panciatichi Ximenes d’Aragona."

Roman Robroek

Shortlisted - Vicars’ Close, Wells. "Vicars’ Close was built over 650 years ago to house the Vicars Choral and it has since been continuously inhabited by their successors. Vicars’ Close is the most complete example of a medieval Close in the UK and is said to be the oldest purely residential street in Europe."

Rose Atkinson

Shortlisted - Ring of Brodgar, Orkney. "The Ring of Brodgar Stone Circle and Henge, which is part of the The Heart of Neolithic Orkney World Heritage Site."

Santiago Arribas Pena

Shortlisted - Library, King's College, Cambridge. "Yesterday's reading material remains stacked on the 20th century desk, looking out from the current library (built 1828) towards the Gibbs' Building (1724), and the back of King's College Chapel (1515)."

Sara Rawlinson

Shortlisted - House of Commons Chamber, Westminster Palace. "A unique view of the House of Commons Chamber, Westminster Palace from the Press Gallery above the Speaker’s Chair."

Tim Banting

Shortlisted - Safdarjung Tomb, New Delhi, India. "This is Safdarjung Tomb in New Delhi India. Safdarjung's Tomb is a sandstone and marble mausoleum in New Delhi, India. It was built in 1754 in the late Mughal Empire style for the statesman Safdarjung."

Virendra Singh

View gallery - 56 images

The Historic Photographer of the Year is only in its second year but it is quickly securing a place as one of the most aesthetically exciting and intellectually stimulating photographic competitions on the increasingly crowded annual calendar. This year's incredible winners celebrate a medieval island commune in France, a surreal WW2 anti-aircraft sea fort, and an ancient Scottish stone circle.

There seems to be a photographic competition for every kind of niche interest these days –drones, underwater, iPhones, panoramas, astronomy, and Instagram all have their own dedicated awards. And while on the surface a photography competition centered entirely on historical and cultural sites around the world may seem as niche as they come, in reality it has generated one of the more compelling collections of images delivered in the past 12 months.

The competition is pretty straightforward, with the main category covering images illustrating any historical site around the globe. This can include everything from spectacular castles and ancient prehistoric stone structures, to more modern historical images such as decaying vistas of Chernobyl and brutalist architecture from the 1970s.

Daniel Burton

"Historic and cultural sites are among the most picturesque places on the planet and the very best shots demand not only time and patience but also a willingness to get off the beaten track and frame their place in history in a unique and personal way," explains Dan Snow, one of the judges. "This year's winning entries and submissions perfectly showcase just how stunning the history all around us can be and will doubtless encourage people to get out there and see these amazing places for themselves."

Snow, famous for numerous BBC history documentaries, and the rest of the judging panel came up with three winners this year, alongside an expansive and impressive shortlist. The overall award went to Daniel Burton for a gorgeous shot of a medieval island commune in France called Le Mont Saint-Michel (pictured above).

Ancient History Winner - Callanish Stone Circle, Isle of Lewis, Scotland

David Ross

Two new sub-categories were introduced this year. The Ancient History category, covering subjects primarily dating earlier than 500 CE, was won by David Ross for his remarkable shot of the Callanish Stones at sunset (above). The mysterious stone monument is thought to have been erected some time between 2900 and 2600 BCE.

The English History category was won by Mark Edwards for his haunting image of the Red Sands sea forts. These historic forts were built for anti-aircraft defense in the Second World War.

"They were operated by the army and destroyed several flying bombs," explains Duncan Wilson, Chief Executive of Historic England and another member of this year's judging panel. "Built 76 years ago at Gravesend, the forts bear witness to the ingenuity of these building defenses along our coast in wartime Britain."

Diana Buzoianu

Alongside the obvious aesthetic and technical proficiency of the photographs, a vital judging criteria in the competition is the historical story behind each image and how the photograph evokes that narrative. This excitingly novel aspect to the competition makes the Historic Photographer of the Year Awards a little more interesting than the average photo competition.

Take a trip through our gallery for a closer look at all the amazing shortlisted images encompassing thousands of years of compelling human history.

Source: Trip Historic

View gallery - 56 images

Spectacles of the past showcased by the best historic photography of 2018

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