‘Photography for museums is often very clean, crisp, light, and bright. But I wanted to bring that rougher, more authentic feel’ says photographer Vicky Grout. When it came to photographing our new storehouse – now home to a collection of over 250,000 objects, 350,000 books, and 1,000 archives, opening to the public in 2025 – we decided to approach things differently. How might a photographer like Grout, who came up documenting grime raves, reimagine a 200-year-old pair of slippers or a 4th-century tapestry?
To find out, and mark the monumental collection move project, which has been five years in the making, we invited four photographers from across London – Vicky Grout, Mary Ngwu, Shahram Saadat and Niall Hodson – behind-the-scenes at V&A East Storehouse.
As we wandered through the depths of the stores, each photographer was given the freedom to shoot different aspects of the space, objects, and the collections move team at work. V&A East Storehouse was conceived as a sourcebook of inspiration for everyone and we encouraged the photographers to capture the space with their own unique style and approach.
It was only natural that they’d be drawn to the unexpected. For Shahram, it was the mysterious and ghostly packaging. A chair wrapped in white plastic could be a mass-produced modern piece, or a priceless ancient artefact. Our vast collection of archive fashion caught the eyes of Vicky and Mary, from a gold Versace handbag, to ‘Spice Girls vibes’ black and blue platform boots by Japanese designer Kansai Yamamoto. But for Niall (who recently snapped ex-England manager Gareth Southgate for GQ), it was just as much about the people who look after the collection as the pieces themselves – ‘These objects didn’t just appear on their own; they came from people, whether present or past’. His images, which show hands delicately packing objects and technicians navigating the cavernous store, capture the raw essence of what the place is all about.
We caught-up with photographers Vicky, Mary, Shahram and Niall in the stores to hear more about their time shooting with us…
Have you ever photographed in a museum store before and what was that like?
Vicky: I’ve visited a lot of museums, including the V&A many times, but I’ve never seen this side of it. It feels very behind-the-scenes, which is very cool. One of the challenges is that when you’re used to shooting people, you can direct them. But with still-life and objects, you have to maneuver things yourself—or, in this case, have someone do it for you.
Mary: It was challenging at first, but I love a good challenge. I’m really used to taking pictures of people, so photographing objects today was a new experience.
Shahram: I’ve taken pictures at fabric archives and antique markets in the past but I’ve never been in a space like this before. It’s wonderful that it gives people the opportunity to see all these artifacts. As a photographer, the challenge is the juxtaposition of ancient artifacts within a very modern environment. I wanted to document it in a way that doesn’t create a conflict between the old and new but instead highlights the contrast.
Niall: I was blown away by the history and the sheer number of ornate, rare, and refined objects casually lying around. Over there, you’ve got poison darts, muskets, swords—everything. There’s even some furniture that looks quite haunted. Everything here has a story and I’m quite story-driven as a photographer.
What are you shooting on and how did you approach the project?
Vicky: Photography for museums is often very clean, crisp, light, and bright. I wanted to bring that rougher, more authentic feel, which I thought would be a nice juxtaposition with priceless pieces in here. Today, I’m traveling light, just using digital with flash and a zoom lens – that gives me flexibility on the shoot and freedom in post-production.
Mary: I’m shooting on medium format film. I love shooting on film because I started with a Polaroid camera, then moved on to a disposable, and eventually a point-and-shoot. So I’ve always stuck with film. I also love learning the craft, like working in the darkroom, scanning, and all that fun stuff.
Shahram: The first thing that came to mind was when David Hearn said that when you’re in a new place or country, you should try to document everything within the first 72 hours because that’s when it all feels new. So that’s how I approached this space, trying to document as much as possible. I chose to shoot with flash to bring out the colors and make the scenes feel a bit surreal, which I hope will draw people in.
Niall: When I first arrived, I felt like I was in the Indiana Jones storage room, or that one from Harry Potter. My approach was to make the images look as timeless as possible. I wanted the frames to feel tight and the objects to be placed in a way that conveys that organized chaos of this space. I’m shooting with a Fuji X100V and a flash. I’ve really found my footing with these cameras, allowing me to be agile and work in a sort of guerrilla style
What objects were you drawn to and why?
Vicky: Some of my favourite objects today were the Lulu Guinness handbag with the little strawberries—I loved that one—and the knitted piece with all the flowers on it, which was very cool. The gold Versace handbag was also amazing. I was really drawn to the South Asian headwear with its cool patterns and colors.
Mary: These black and blue platform boots by Kansai Yamamoto from the 70s. They gave me serious Spice Girl vibes.
Shahram: It’s been really interesting to see the different fabrics and how they’ve been preserved in such perfect condition—almost as if they were just made. The footwear was fascinating too, from Nike football boots made in the last ten years to 18th-century slippers. I was also intrigued by how all the objects are packaged. For example, a chair in it’s packaging looks like any chair, but underneath, you could be looking at something that’s 300 or 400 years old.
Niall: As well as the objects, I wanted to capture the behind-the-scenes work of the people here. These objects didn’t just appear on their own; they came from people, whether present or past. It’s one thing to take a nice photo of a well-placed pair of shoes, but it’s even better to capture the moments in between, like getting the shoes out of the box and seeing the care and dedication that goes into preserving all these different pieces. It adds to the narrative of what this place is all about.
About the photographers
Vicky Grout is a British-Polish photographer specialising mostly in portrait, music, fashion and street photography, and is one of London’s leading street culture photographers.
Mary Ngwu is an analogue photographer mainly capturing fashion and portraiture, and currently studying in London.
Shahram Saadat is a British-Iranian photographer whose practice is inspired by human idiosyncrasies; he channels the erratic spontaneity of documentary-style photography into staged scenes. Shahram is also the founder of Duende, an experimental publishing house and non-profit gallery showcasing emerging talent from its community of image-makers, sculptors, designers and writers, and engaging with local communities to provide educational workshops.
Niall Hodson is a young London/Manchester based fashion and documentary photographer, whose work is strongly centred around the belief that everyone has a story to tell, exploring these narratives through the use of photography.
Any details on how to book a visit to inspect an archive would be appreciated. Visiting from Manchester means an agreed slot seems necessary to avoid disappointment?
Thanks