Photography of the 19th Century at the British Library

The British Library is unveiling a major exhibit of 19th century photography designed to show off a sampling of the library's vast photographic collection. The exhibit, titled Points of View, has an online component which can be enjoyed even if you can't get to London.

The exhibit contains several main sections, which focus on such topics as portraits, scientific photographs, and foreign scenes. As might be expected, there are striking images, such as an 1867 photograph of Stonehenge, a portrait of Oscar Wilde staring at the camera, and a classic shot of the hippo which arrived at a London Zoo in 1852 relaxing in its enclosure.

The focus is generally on British subjects, but the travel section naturally includes photos from exotic locales, and there are even some American subjects, such as an Alexander Gardner photograph taken following the Battle of Gettysburg.

The online exhibit will apparently expand beyond what's presently available, with an interactive timeline yet to be unveiled. And the exhibit boasts its own blog.

Points of View, which officially opens at the British Library on Friday, October 30, has already received favorable press coverage, including a rave review in The Times of London.