The Errant Æsthete

Silhouette of Westminster Abbey, London, England, 2000

The spires of Westminster Abbey cut dramatic shapes into a blushing twilight sky. The famous London church began as a Benedictine monastery enlarged by King Edward in the 1040s. It was designated the “west minster” to distinguish it from St. Paul’s Cathedral, the “east minster.” For centuries, Westminster Abbey has hosted royal coronations and burials.

(Photo by Jodi Cobb on assignment for, but not published in, “London on a Roll,” June 2000, National Geographic magazine)