One of the Earliest Photographs of London: View of Whitehall From Trafalgar Square by M. de St Croix in 1839

This is one of the earliest daguerreotype photographs of England, taken when Frenchman M de St Croix (sometimes written as Monsieur de Sainte Croix) was in London demonstrating Louis Daguerre’s pioneering photographic process during September and December 1839. At the time, photography was brand new—still considered a scientific marvel rather than an art form. Early practitioners like de St Croix were experimenting with exposure times, light sensitivity, and lens clarity.

The statue in the foreground is Le Sueur’s statue of Charles I on horseback, and in the distance Inigo Jones’ Banqueting House – practically everything else shown in the image has subsequently disappeared. The image has been reversed to show the scene as it was, as daguerreotypes only produce reversed views.