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Documenting this journey was Francis Bedford (1815-1894), the first ever photographer to accompany a British royal tour. He made about 200 images over the course of the trip, using the latest photographic equipment; something that to a modern viewer looks both cumbersome and complex. Eighteen photographs have been selected for this online exhibition. Sights of Wonder explores how these pioneering images may have reflected and even influenced existing Victorian perceptions of the Middle East. It provides insights into the historical, geo-political and religious locations of the region then considered to be of greatest importance to the queen and her government.
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Francis Bedford (1815-1894), by an unknown photographer, probably London, about 185. Albumen print.
© The Wellcome Library (No. 14933i)

Below is a video provided by the Royal Collection Trust which explains the wet collodion photographic process used by Francis Bedford while touring with the prince. As a process it had only been invented in the 1850s, just over 10 years before it was used by Bedford during the Royal Tour with such skill