Philip-Lorca diCorcia, 'Ike Cole; 38 years old; Los Angeles, California; $25', 1990-2. Museum no. E.766-2008. Image Courtesy of David Zwirner, New York
COLLECTIONS
Photography
The Museum began acquiring
photographs in 1852 and its collection
is now is one of the largest and most
important in the world. It holds over
500,000 images, by both classic
and contemporary photographers,
and illustrates a wide range of
processes, techniques and subject
matter. The Photography gallery
focuses on the history of photography,
with an annual display of around 40
outstanding photographs from the
V&A's collection.
Highlight
A History of Photography
Featuring classic, modern and contemporary photographs, this display outlines the history of the medium and includes work by some of the most influential figures to use photography as a creative art. It also illustrates the wide variety of styles, subject matter and processes that can be seen in the V&A collection.
Highlight
1858 Exhibition of the Photographic Society of London
The 1858 exhibition was the first exhibition of photographs to be held in any museum. Consisting of 1009 photographs, it was organised by the Photographic Society of London and included approximately 250 contributions from its French counterpart, the Société française de photographie.