The view from Strood, 1871. Here we join a young girl admiring the Victorian Rochester Bridge, which still exists in parts of today's Old Bridge. What else can you see that's familiar?
ALT A sepia photograph. At the bottom it is captioned "Rochester 1871". In the foreground is a railing separating dry land from the still River Medway. Stood near or possibly leaning on the railing is the figure of a young girl. We guess her age because her head is only a little higher than the railing. She is wearing simple period clothing, has shoulder-length dark hair and a dark, flat hat reminiscent of a sailor hat. The girl is looking to the left of the image, where the cast iron arches of the Victorian incarnation of Rochester Bridge is stretches across the river to the far bank. Along the far riverbank is a row of buildings of various shapes and sizes with lots of windows. Then we get to a wall and what looks like plants and trees. In the distance behind that is part of the tower of Rochester Cathedral minus its spire. Then further still, near the right edge of the picture is the stone shell of Rochester Castle. Above all of this is a pale, empty sky.