Forty-Two Cathedrals, Photographed in Daylight

Peter Marlow's The English Cathedral is on view at Southwark Cathedral in London from 21 July to 31 August 2026. Marlow photographed all 42 Anglican cathedrals in England during 2010 and 2011, timing each visit so he could see the building in natural light, closer to how it was experienced for centuries before electricity. The pictures centre on the naves, taking in wooden ceilings, Gothic arches, altars and apses. The venue itself dates back at least to the eleventh century.

The method defines the work: one rule, one vantage point, one time of day, repeated across 42 buildings. Typology of this kind only reveals difference through comparison, which means the series matters more than any single frame. Marlow, twice president of Magnum Photos, was better known for conflict and political reporting, so this quiet, event-free project sits on the far side of his career. The rights are now handled by the Peter Marlow Foundation and Magnum Photos.