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Most searched for

Here are our most searched-for objects and themes

  1. dance costume
    Dance costume, Adzido Pan African Dance Company, 1999
    V&A South Kensington
    On display
  2. artwork
    Rolling Stones Hot Licks logo, artwork, designed by Jon Pasche, 1970, London, England
    V&A South Kensington
    Not on display
  3. guitar
    Les Paul guitar, made by Gibson, 1960s, US
    V&A East Museum
    On display
  4. award
    Academy Award, designed by Cedric Gibbons, made by R.S. Owens, 1952, United States
    V&A South Kensington
    On display
  5. costume
    Stage costume worn by Shirley Bassey, designed by Douglas Darnell, 1960s, England
    V&A South Kensington
    On display
  6. poster
    Eightpence a Mile: The New Stop Press Review, poster, designed by G.K. Benda, printed by David Allen & Sons, about 1913, London, England
    V&A East Storehouse
    View by appointment
  7. costume
    Film costume from 'Star Wars', designed by John Mollo and Brian Muir, 1977 – 80, England
    V&A South Kensington
    On display
  8. costume design
    Costume design for the ballet 'Amor', designed by P Croce, late 19th century, Italy
    V&A South Kensington
    On display
  9. poster
    Smile Orange, theatre poster, designed by Eureka! Design Consultants with photography by Rick Elgood, 1992, England
    V&A South Kensington
    On display
  10. theatre costume
    Theatre costume, designed by Philip Prowse, made by Bonn & Mackenzie, 1981, London, England
    V&A East Storehouse
    View by appointment
  11. set model
    Set model, designed by Henry Emden, 1903, Britain
    V&A South Kensington
    On display
  12. poster
    Poster advertising Anansi's Royal Quest at the Unicorn Theatre, 1983, England
    V&A South Kensington
    On display
  13. painting
    Queen Elizabeth Viewing the Performance of 'The Merry Wives of Windsor' at the Globe Theatre, oil painting, by David Scott, 1840, Britain
    V&A East Storehouse
    View by appointment
  14. painting
    Leonide Massine waiting for his cue to go on stage in 'On With the Dance', painting, painted by Gluck, 1925, Great Britain
    V&A South Kensington
    On display
  15. theatre box (audience space)
    Theatre box from the Palace Theatre of Varieties, designed by Bertie Crewe, 1903 – 1904, Britain
    V&A South Kensington
    On display
  1. Navy blue tailcoat worn by Fred Astaire in the film 'Shall We Dance'.
    Shall We Dance, film costume worn by Fred Astaire, made by Anderson & Sheppard Ltd, 1936, UK
    V&A South Kensington
    On display
  2. theatre costume
    Music-hall costume worn by May Moore Duprez, about 1910, England
    V&A East Storehouse
    Not on display
  3. theatre costume
    Costume for 'Prince's Mother' in Swan Lake designed by Alexandre Golovine for the Bolshoi, Moscow, 1901
    V&A East Storehouse
    View by appointment
  4. theatre costume
    Headdress, theatre costume worn by Ram Gopal, maker unknown, mid-20th century, UK
    V&A East Storehouse
    View by appointment
  5. Costume
    Costume for The Chinese Conjurer in Massine's ballet 'Parade', designed by Pablo Picasso, 1917
    V&A South Kensington
    Not on display
  6. theatre Costume
    Theatre costume from 'The Lion King', designed by Julie Taymor, 1994, US
    V&A South Kensington
    Not on display
  7. costume
    Brexit Dress, pantomime costume, designed by Lotte Collett, 2016, UK
    V&A South Kensington
    On display
  8. costume
    Lady in the Dark, film costume, designed by Edith Head, 1944, Hollywood, US
    V&A East Storehouse
    View by appointment
  9. theatre costume
    Hat worn by Idina Menzel as Elphaba in the original 2003 New York production of Wicked, by Rodney Gordon, 2003, New York, US
    V&A South Kensington
    On display
  10. costume
    Dame Edna's Breakfast Dress, costume, designed by Stephen Adnitt, 1997, London, England
    V&A South Kensington
    On display
  11. costume
    Jumpsuit worn by Mick Jagger, costume, designed by Ossie Clark, 1972, Great Britain
    On loan
  12. rock and pop costume
    Rear view, 'Bicycle John', rock and pop costume worn by Sir Elton John, designed by Bill Whitten, about 1974, UK
    V&A East Storehouse
    View by appointment
  13. Design
    Design for the costume of Le Buffoon in the ballet 'Chout', by Mikhail Larionov, 1915, Lausanne, Switzerland
    V&A South Kensington
    View by appointment
  14. Costume design
    Costume design for 'Le Coq d'Or', by Natalia Goncharova, about 1914
    V&A South Kensington
    View by appointment
  15. costume
    Black satin floral patterned shoes worn by Prince, costume, about 1994, USA
    On loan
  1. Glastonbury Festival poster, 1995.
    Glastonbury Festival poster, 1995.
  2. Print, 'Something like that'.
    Print, 'Something like that'.
  3. Festival-goers in fancy dress at the Chapel of Love and Loathing
    Festival-goers in fancy dress at the Chapel of Love and Loathing (part of the Lost Vagueness field).
  4. Glastonbury, 1970s.
    Glastonbury, 1970s.
  5. A festival-goer defeated by the mud
    A festival-goer defeated by the mud, 1990s.
  6. Glastonbury Festival poster, 1986.
    Glastonbury Festival poster, 1986.
  7. The first Pyramid stage at Glastonbury Festival, 1971.
    The first Pyramid stage at Glastonbury Festival, 1971.
  8. Glastonbury Festival poster, 1970.
    Glastonbury Festival poster, 1970.
  9. Glastonbury Festival poster, 1983.
    Glastonbury Festival poster, 1983.
  10. Pyramid Stage sign.
    Pyramid Stage sign.
  11. Arcadia at Glastonbury Festival
    Arcadia at Glastonbury Festival.
  12. Jean and Michael Eavis cheer from the Pyramid Stage, 1992.
    Jean and Michael Eavis cheer from the Pyramid Stage, 1992.
  13. Pyramid Stage architectural drawings.
    Pyramid Stage architectural drawings.
  14. Glastonbury crowd.
    Glastonbury crowd.
  15. Banners at Glastonbury Festival, 2014.
    Banners at Glastonbury Festival, 2014.
  1. Black woman standing on a pebble beach, holding a large pink shell to her ear. She wears a green floor-length dress
    'Self Evident', C-type print, by Ingrid Pollard, 1995, printed 2013, Brighton, England
    V&A South Kensington
    Not on display
  2. Man with child on his back, holding a pink dog lead, with a white and brown dog. Another child holds onto the dog.
    'The Garden II', chromogenic print, by Siân Davey, 2021
    V&A South Kensington
    View by appointment
  3. Salted paper print of lace; strong brown colour. Botanical and floral patterns including flowers and plants.
    Lace, salted paper print, by William Henry Fox Talbot, early 1840s, Britain
    V&A South Kensington
    View by appointment
  4. Two soldiers in black and white uniform, in a field. One is smoking and eating from a small tub
    'The Break', Nermine Hammam, inkjet print, 2011
    V&A East Storehouse
    View by appointment
  5. Artist is topless and turns away from the camera
    'Disconnected', inkjet print, by Marvel Harris, 2018, the Netherlands
    V&A South Kensington
    View by appointment
  6. Portrait of woman/girl side-on. She has wavy hair and has a neutral expression.
    'The Angel at the Tomb', photograph, by Julia Margaret Cameron, 1870, Isle of Wight, England
    V&A South Kensington
    View by appointment
  7. photograph of inside the Raphael gallery, with the Cartoons on easels before being hung
    'View of the Raphael Cartoons Galleries at the South Kensington Museum', albumen print, by Isabel Agnes Cowper, about 1873
    V&A South Kensington
    View by appointment
  8. Woman stood leaning on a big camera, with the flash going off
    'Lily Cole and Giant Camera', inkjet print, by Tim Walker, 2004. Museum no. E.1140-2008
    V&A South Kensington
    Not on display
  9. Three teenage boys smoking in the street, wearing blazers and ties
    'Boys smoking, Portland Road, April 15 1956', gelatin silver print, by Roger Mayne, 1956, London, England
    V&A South Kensington
    View by appointment
  10. Pink flower, darker in the middle and lighter towards the edge of the petals
    'Tree Peony' from Some Japanese Flowers Vol. I, collotype with lithographic overprinting in colour, by Kazumasa Ogawa, 1894, Japan
    V&A South Kensington
    View by appointment
  11. Black and white photograph of a tree which has fallen onto a rock face
    'Columbia and Western #3', from the series 'Westward, the Course of Empire', by Mark Ruwedel, 1999
    V&A South Kensington
    View by appointment
  12. Woman with brown hair and red lipstick, fixing her earring to her ear
    'The Earring', photograph, by Madame Yevonde, about 1936, UK
  1. poster
    Opera Theatre of St. Louis, poster, 1978, Missouri, US
    V&A East Storehouse
    View by appointment
  2. set design
    Thérèse, set design, designed by Alan Barlow, 1979, UK
    V&A East Storehouse
    View by appointment
  3. libretto
    Serious Operas Vol. VIII, libretto, by George Frideric Handel and Nicola Francesco Haym, printed by Thomas Wood, 1720, London, England
    V&A East Storehouse
    View by appointment
  4. theatre costume
    Theatre costume, designed by Alexander Golovin, about 1910, Russia
    V&A East Storehouse
    View by appointment
  5. theatre costume
    Theatre costume, designed by Bruno Santini, made by David Garrett, 1977, UK
    V&A East Storehouse
    View by appointment
  6. opera glasses
    Opera glasses, 19th century, Europe
    V&A East Storehouse
    View by appointment
  7. print
    H Beard Print Collection, engraved by James Gillray, published by H. Humphrey, 1803, London, England
    V&A East Storehouse
    View by appointment
  8. costume design
    Costume design, designed by Oliver Messel, 1950, London, England
    V&A East Storehouse
    View by appointment
  9. photograph
    Guy Little Theatrical Photograph, photograph, 19th century, Britain
    V&A South Kensington
    Not on display
  10. print
    Engraving of a court ballet in Vlasislav Hall, Prague Castle, by Mat'a, 1617, Britain
    V&A East Storehouse
    View by appointment
  11. print
    Rich's Glory or his Triumphant Entry into Covent-Garden, engraved by William Hogarth, printed by Robert Wilkinson, 1811, Britain
    V&A East Storehouse
    View by appointment
  12. theatre costume
    The Nightingale, theatre costume, designed by David Hockney, 1983, UK
    V&A East Storehouse
    View by appointment
  13. watercolour
    Covent Garden Opera House; The Colonnade, watercolour, by John Walter Bayes, about 1940, London, England
    V&A South Kensington
    View by appointment
  14. figure
    Jenny Lind as Alice in Meyerbeer's Opera, figure, 1847, Staffordshire, England
    V&A South Kensington
    View by appointment
  15. relief
    Relief of George Frideric Handel, made by Louis-François Roubiliac, 1750 – 60, London, England
    V&A South Kensington
    On display

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  1. Read

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  4. Interact

    Facing the music: Album covers from musical theatre

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  5. Read

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  6. Read

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In our venues

See the collections in person. For some objects not on display you can view by appointment. Our collections include the National Art Library and the V&A Archives.

  1. mechanical organ
    Tippoo's Tiger, mechanical organ, about 1793, Mysore, India
    V&A South Kensington
    Not on display
  2. plaster cast of Trajan's Column
    (Detail) Trajan's column, plaster cast, by Monsieur Oudry, about 1864, Paris, France
    V&A South Kensington
    On display
  3. bed
    The Great Bed of Ware, designed by Hans Vredeman de Vries, 1590 – 1600, Ware, England
    V&A South Kensington
    On display
  4. 3D-printed logotype woodblock
    3D-printed Extinction Rebellion logotype woodblock
    V&A East Museum
    On display
  5. pride Flag
    Progress Pride flag, designed by Daniel Quasar, manufactured by Custom Flag Company Inc., 2020, Westminster
    V&A South Kensington
    Not on display
  6. evening ensemble
    (Detail) Pérou evening ensemble, designed by Christian Dior, by Bodin Brossin, 1954, Paris, France
    V&A East Storehouse
    View by appointment
  7. Costumes
    Costumes for 'Le Train Bleu', designed by Coco Chanel, 1924
    V&A South Kensington
    Not on display
  1. plate
    'Variations on a Geometric Theme' plate, designed by Eduardo Paolozzi, manufactured by Josiah Wedgwood and sons, about 1970, Barlaston, Stoke-on-Trent, England
    On loan
  2. vase
    Portland Vase, by Josiah Wedgwood and Sons, 1793, Etruria, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England
    V&A Wedgwood Collection
    On display
  3. painting
    Wedgwood family portrait, oil painting, by George Stubbs, 1780, England
    V&A Wedgwood Collection
    On display
  4. vase
    Lessore Vase, painted by Emile Aubert Lessore, made by Josiah Wedgwood and Sons, about 1863, England
    V&A Wedgwood Collection
    On display
  5. yellow and black oval medallion
    Anti-slavery medallion, by Josiah Wedgwood and sons, about 1787, Etruria, Stoke-on-Trent, England
    V&A Wedgwood Collection
    Not on display
  6. teapot in the shape of a cauliflower
    Teapot moulded in the shape of a cauliflower, by Josiah Wedgwood and sons, 1765, Stoke-on-Trent, England
    V&A Wedgwood Collection
    On display
  7. trial tray
    Jasperware trials mounted on a wooden tray, by Josiah Wedgwood and sons, 1773 – 76, Stoke-on-Trent, England
    V&A Wedgwood Collection
    On display
  8. teapot
    Teapot, designed by Douglas Baillie Hamilton Cochrane, manufactured by Josiah Wedgwood and Sons, 1906
    V&A Wedgwood Collection
    On display
  9. Detail of brightly coloured bowl
    Detail of 'Fairyland Lustre' bowl, by Josiah Wedgwood and sons, about 1923, Etruria, Stoke-on-Trent, England
    V&A Wedgwood Collection
    On display
  1. installation
    Place (Village), installation, by Rachel Whiteread, about 1995 – 2015, London
    Young V&A
    On display
  2. installation
    Planetarium, installation, by Tristan Blondeau, 2023, Paris, France
    Young V&A
    On display
  3. print
    The Self-Portrait, print, by Quentin Blake, 2010, UK
    Young V&A
    On display
  4. dolls' house
    Bettiscombe, dolls' house, about 1870, England
    Young V&A
    On display
  5. soft toy
    Pikachu, soft toy, manufactured by Deutshe Toy GMBH, 1995 – 99, Munich, Germany
    Young V&A
    On display
  6. bionic arm
    'Hero Arm', Open Bionics, 3D printed bionic arm for a child, Bristol, England
    Young V&A
    On display
  7. computer
    Amstrad CPC 464 Computer, manufactured by Amstrad, 1984, England
    Young V&A
    On display
  8. film hoarding
    Devdas, film hoarding, by Balkrishna Arts, 2002, London, England
    Young V&A
    On display
  9. toys
    Death Star, designed by Bjarke Lykke Madsen, designed by Bas Brederode, manufactured by The LEGO Group, 2011 – 12, Denmark
    Young V&A
    On display
  1. ensemble
    Cut, Slash & Pull, ensemble, by Vivienne Westwood, 1990, England
    V&A East Museum
    On display
  2. A distressed canvas Union Flag frockcoat with v-neck and high-backed collar, with tears, burn marks, discolourations over it.
    Costume, designed by Alexander McQueen, designed by Bowie, David, 1996, Great Britain
    V&A East Storehouse
    View by appointment
  3. powder bowl
    Powder bowl, made by Halex Ltd, 1930 – 39, Walthamstow, London, England
    V&A East Storehouse
    On display
  4. t-shirt
    Hackney Lesbian Strength and Gay Pride 1993, t-shirt, maker unknown, 1993, England
    V&A East Storehouse
    On display
  5. tracksuit
    Tracksuit showing scenes from the 2011 East London riots, by SIBLING, 2012, London, England
    V&A East Storehouse
    On display
  6. A pink chiffon dress with ruffles created by smocking on the bodice and skirt which frame the wide, off-the-shoulder neckline
    Daria dress, by Molly Goddard, 2019, London
    V&A South Kensington
    Not on display
  7. sculpture
    Reunion VI: Underneath the Surface, terracotta sculpture, by Bisila Noha, 2022, London, England
    V&A East Museum
    On display
  8. Blue painted wooden chair with a clothes hanger style hook on the yellow back rest
    Captain hook chair frame, by Yinka Ilori
    V&A East Museum
    On display
A gloved hand takes the lid off a ceramic jar
a gloves hand holds a Japanese netsuke
two people unpack a punk hat in a study centre

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Header image: (Detail:) Crowd for The Paddingtons performing at The Great Eastern, London, 2 May 2005, photograph, by Gregory Nolan. Museum no. S.1377-2025. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London