History of Photography

Evening course

+44 (0)20 7942 2000
  • Tuesday 3 October 2017 – Tuesday 14 November 2017

  • Prints & Drawings Study Room

  • Course price £259.00 - £303.00

Sold out

In 1852, the V&A became one of the first museums to acquire photographs for its collections, holding its inaugural photography exhibition in 1858. Today, the collection is one of the most important in the world with approximately 800,000 images dating from the 1820s to the present day. This course will present an overview of the history of the medium of photography, encompassing works by a broad array of historic and contemporary practitioners.

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Course Leaders
Martin Barnes and Susanna Brown

The course will be led by Martin Barnes, Senior Curator of Photographs and Susanna Brown, Curator of Photographs. They care for this world-class collection, make new acquisitions, research and write about the collection, as well as curating many displays and major exhibitions at the V&A.

I thoroughly enjoyed the quality, content and diversity of the evening courses 2015/16 course student

Course overview

The V&A was one of the first museums to collect and exhibit photographs. Today, the collection is one of the most important in the world, recognised internationally for its breadth of content, including works that span the 1820s to the present day. This is a particularly exciting year for photography at the V&A, with the recent transfer of the vast collection of the Royal Photographic Society, and spectacular new photography galleries opening here in 2018.

This course will present an overview of the history of the medium, encompassing works by a broad array of historic and contemporary practitioners. Subjects covered range from landscapes, portraiture and fashion imagery to contemporary camera-less photography and photobooks. Students will have the opportunity to view up-close some of the magnificent original works in the collection, as well as visit the behind-the-scenes areas of the museum where photographs are stored and conserved.

This 6 week course will have half term on the 24 October

£303 full price, £273 over 60s, £259 concessions
(concessions are available for ES40 holders and registered disabled people)

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Delve deeper into the subjects you love

Explore the subjects you love with a group who share your passion, guided by expert tutors and drawing inspiration from the V&A collections. Refreshments served on arrival.

Enrol now

Evening course: History of Photography

3 October 2017 - 14 November 2017

£259.00 - £303.00

Sold out

Need help enrolling? Talk to the admissions team:

+44 (0)20 7942 2000

Open 10.00 - 13.00, Monday to Sunday (closed 24-26 December)