Perhaps more than any other single photographer, Julia Margaret Cameron is credited with transforming the science of photography into an expression of art. A permanent exhibition of her work is on view at Dimbola Lodge on the Isle of Wight, where Cameron was part of an eclectic Victorian group of artists and intellectuals known as the Freshwater Circle.

Other luminaries were friends and island neighbors whom she photographed, including poet Alfred Lord Tennyson, astronomer John Herschel, artist G. F. Watts and author Lewis Carroll (Charles Dodgson). Some literary scholars have speculated research indicates Cameron was likely the real-life inspiration for the character of the White Queen in Through the Looking-Glass.

Though Oct. 6, visitors to the Isle of Wight can explore those connections in an additional special exhibition titled The Freshwater Circle Through the Looking-Glass at Cameron’s former home, Dimbola Lodge. There’s also a fascinating permanent collection of Cameron’s photographs and Victorian cameras, and the ground floor Mad Hatter at Julie’s Tea Room, with fabulous freshly-baked cakes.

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