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Fragile Colours: Perceiving and Experiencing Autochromes (In-Person)
Focusing on the historic early colour photography process the Autochrome Lumière, this conference explores the research and results of the PERCEIVE project, seeking new ways to understand, exhibit, and access fragile, coloured cultural heritage.
+44 (0)20 7942 2000
Past Event
The Autochrome Lumière, publicly released in 1907, was the first commercially successful colour photography process and was heralded as a revolution in photography.
Today, autochromes are rare and valued objects in cultural institutions, tied to the origins of widely accessible colour photography. The dyes used in the autochrome plates are extremely light sensitive and fugitive, meaning that the colours in autochromes tend to change or fade when exposed to light or external factors, like moisture. When autochromes are damaged, there are limited options available for physical restoration. For this reason, despite their historical and cultural significance, many cultural institutions have chosen not to exhibit original autochrome plates.
Across 2023-2025, PERCEIVE have been examining the unique materiality of autochromes and devising ways for plates to be exhibited and restored, including via digital interventions. PERCEIVE, standing for Perceptive Enhanced Realities of Coloured collEctions through AI and Virtual Experiences, works on new ways to perceive, preserve, exhibit, understand and access fragile, coloured cultural heritage. PERCEIVE’s scenario considering historical colour photographic processes focuses on autochromes and has involved a collaboration between Colourlab at Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts (HSLU), Fraunhofer Institute for Computer Graphics Research and the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A).
Online ticket registration available, please see below.
All ticket reservations (in person and online) close on 23 November, 2025.
Access
Online ticket registration available, please see below.
All ticket reservations (in person and online) close on 23 November, 2025.
Access
If you require step-free access or have any further questions regarding accessibility, please email accessibility@vam.ac.uk.
We ask that requests for step-free access are made at least 24 hours before your visit. If you would like more information about accessibility at V&A South Kensington please visit, https://www.vam.ac.uk/info/disability-access.
UK participants in Horizon Europe Project ‘Perceptive Enhanced Realities of Colored collEctions through AI and Virtual Experiences’ are supported by UKRI grant numbers 1006504.
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Header image: John Cimon Warburg (1867-1931), Flower Stall, Cannes, c.1910, autochrome, Victoria and Albert Museum, RPS.491-2020