[Man and woman standing facing each other]

William Carrick was born in 1827 in Edinburgh, Scotland. He was the son of a painter and engraver and showed an interest in art from an early age. In 1849 he moved to St Petersburg, Russia, where he worked as a lithographer. Carrick soon became interested in photography and began to experiment with the medium. He opened his own photographic studio in 1859 and quickly gained a reputation for his portraits and landscapes. In 1864 Carrick was appointed official photographer to the Russian Imperial Family. He travelled extensively throughout Russia, documenting the country's people and landscapes. His photographs were widely exhibited and published in books and magazines. Carrick also continued to paint and his work was exhibited at the Imperial Academy of Arts in St Petersburg. He died in 1878, aged 51. Carrick's photographs are now regarded as some of the most important early images of Russia. They offer a glimpse into the lives of ordinary people as well as the grandeur of the Imperial Court. His paintings are also highly regarded for their realistic depictions of everyday life in Russia.