John Joscelyn Coghill

John Joscelyn Coghill was a photographer active for a defined period between 1850 and 1855. His documented output consists exclusively of early landscape and architectural views captured in Central Europe, establishing his participation in the nascent stages of travel photography during the mid-nineteenth century.

Working across Switzerland and Germany, Coghill focused on capturing scenes of dramatic topography and significant historical architecture. His subjects reflected the popular Romantic interest in picturesque yet formidable natural environments. Five of his photographs are currently represented in museum collections, affirming the historical importance and museum-quality of his work.

These represented works include the landscape studies Swiss Glacier and View in Switzerland, alongside architectural documentation such as Heidelberg, Chillon, and the closely related image The Castle of Chillon. John Joscelyn Coghill’s photographs are preserved within the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Given the historical era of their creation, many of these compositions are now considered part of the public domain, often available as high-quality prints for researchers and collectors.