John Thomson – St Nicholas Cathedral, Famagusta, Cyprus, 1878 | Framed Giclée Print

The west front of St Nicholas at Famagusta: Gothic portals, tall traceried windows, and a minaret rising where a bell tower would be. In front of it stands a plain house with an arched doorway, much nearer the camera and much smaller.

The Lusignan kings of Cyprus built the cathedral in the fourteenth century; after the Ottoman conquest of 1571 it became a mosque. John Thomson photographed it in the autumn of 1878, a few months after Britain had taken over the administration of the island, for Through Cyprus with the Camera.

What this is. A giclée print made from Thomson's own glass negative, which Henry Wellcome bought from the photographer in 1921. It is not a period photographic print and is not sold as one. The picture is printed the right way round, as a print from the plate shows the scene, so the handwriting on the plate edge reads in mirror image. Neutral black and white, exactly as the plate records it; no sepia has been added.

Scale
Original: wet-collodion glass negative — Wellcome Collection
50 × 40 cm / 19.7 × 15.7 in — Enlarged from the glass negative

The plate is reproduced whole, with its chipped edges and handwritten caption. Nothing is cropped.

Provenance
John Thomson (1837–1921), Famagusta, Cyprus, 1878; wet-collodion glass negative.
Wellcome Collection, London, 19004i.
Public domain (Public Domain Mark).

The frame
Giclée on 200 gsm FSC-certified fine art paper, twelve pigment inks, white border. Matte black wood frame, glazed with clear plexiglass instead of glass, so it travels safely. Print and frame ship together in one package and are assembled on site. Part of the Hotel Collection — volume pricing from ten pieces.