The highly anticipated final phase of the V&A Photography Centre is now open, and no matter what area of photography holds your interest, this news is worthy of your attention.
The V&A was the first museum to collect photographs, beginning in the 1850s, when it was known as the South Kensington Museum. Today, the collection is comprised of over a million objects related to the history of photography, including photographs, negatives, cameras, technical equipment, books, periodicals, and archival material. The origins of the photography collection in the V&A are intertwined with the development of the Museum itself. The first museum director, Henry Cole, was an amateur photographer, and a keen supporter of the art of photography in a time where the medium was considered as more of a science than an art.
The first phase of the dedicated Photography Centre opened in 2018, which doubled the space dedicated to photography at the V&A South Kensington. The opening of the second and final phase in 2023 means that there is now 1,000 square meters of dedicated space for photography within the V&A. Across seven galleries, the center showcases objects from the beginnings of photography alongside cutting-edge new commissions.
The collection can be visited both online and in person, including the Royal Photographic Society archive, which was transferred to the V&A in 2017.
I'm very excited to see this. Headed to London shortly. Thanks for posting this
Fantastic, have a wonderful time!