The origins of rock & pop
As rock and pop music is a 20th century phenomenon, the artists and songs have been preserved in many more ways tha…
Read article
The story of The Supremes
History of and videos about The Supremes, who recorded 12 US No.1 hits between 1964 and 1969, including an unpreced…
Read article
Rolling Stones lips and tongue logo by Jon Pasche, 1970
The original artwork of the Rolling Stones lips and tongue logo - one of the world's most instantly recognisable sy…
Read article
Pete Townshend's guitar
Guitar smashed by Townshend in performance with The Who in the late 1960s or early 1970s on display in the V&A's Th…
Read article
Sampler - Culture Clash
Sampler is a term used both in embroidery and in DJ-ing. In this collaborative project these two cultures are broug…
Read article
Video: A musical automaton clock
Watch and listen as the musical automaton clock from the British Galleries goes through its performance.
Plastic, Pop and Mass-produced Design in the V&A's Collections
Objects made of plastic are everywhere in the Museum. Vessels, lighting, boxes and accessories are spread between the Ceramics and Glass, Metalwork, Furniture and Woodwork, and Textile and Dress Collections.
Two Pooped-out Pop Chairs: What is the Future for our Plastic Collections?
One of the greatest challenges facing the conservator today is how to deal with modern materials. Modern materials have become increasingly important in museum collections and the Victoria and Albert Museum is no exception.
History of Black dance
The term Black dance describes a range of styles whose origins include: the tribal dances of Africa, the slave dances of the West Indies and the American Deep South, the Harlem social dances of the 1920s and the jazz dance of Broadway musicals. Black dance has often been bound up with social and rights issues. The history of black dance in Britain is relatively young, and the first black British dance company, Ballet Nègres, was formed in 1946.
Musical instruments reading list
A selection of recommended musical instrument catalogues and further reading.
Related images from the collections
A gift in your will
You may not have thought of including a gift to a museum in your will, but the V&A is a charity and legacies form an important source of funding for our work. It is not just the great collectors and the wealthy who leave legacies to the V&A. Legacies of all sizes, large and small, make a real difference to what we can do and your support can help ensure that future generations enjoy the V&A as much as you have.
MoreShop online
My Generation: The Glory Years of British Rock
The story of the people who provided the soundtrack to those momentous times with outstanding images of the biggest names in rock history
Buy nowEvent - Theatre & Performance Galleries Tour
Fri 19 February 2010–Mon 31 December 2012
TOUR: Take a guided tour of the V&A's exciting theatre and performance collections, including rock & pop posters, theatre and ballet costumes, puppets, stage sets and more! See new costumes from the Lion King now on display.
More details
