About the artist
Little-known amateur photographer William Van Sommer (1859–1941) preserved the colour richness of Surrey's landscape and favorite gardens through his unique collection of images. Capturing gardens during a period known for waves of contrasting colours, his 'autochrome' pictures offer a rare peek into the vibrant colours of Edwardian-era gardens, rarely seen in colour photography then. His work includes some of the first colour images of the great outdoors and notably, the first known colour photographs of RHS Wisley.
